Yemen said that Saudi Arabia bombed the airport in the capital city as a plane attempted to return from Iran. It is the second time this month that Sanaa reported Riyadh attempted to interfere with a plane returning to Yemen from Iran.
On Monday, officials from the ruling Ansar Allah party said that Saudi bombs hit Sanaa Airport. On July 3, Sanaa said Saudi warplanes entered Yemeni airspace and attempted to prevent the plane from landing. At the time, Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, warned Yemen would not “indefinitely” tolerate Saudi hostility.
In response to Monday’s attack, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that “the Saudi aggression will not go unpunished.” He continued, “The Saudi enemy has ended the de-escalation phase, and must bear responsibility for all potential consequences.”
In 2014, Ansar Allah seized the capital city and took control over most populated regions in Yemen. Initially, the US worked with Ansar Allah to target Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. However, Saudi Arabia viewed Ansar Allah’s control of Yemen as problematic. Riyadh formed a government-in-exile, which it attempted to install in power with a mass bombing campaign, a blockade, and by backing militias opposed to Ansar Allah.
The Barack Obama administration elected to support Saudi’s war to alleviate Riyadh’s concerns over the Iran Nuclear Deal. The war killed hundreds of thousands of people, caused a cholera epidemic, and the blockade resulted in widespread malnutrition among children.
During the war, Ansar Allah developed missile and drone capabilities that were able to cause significant damage to Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure. While Riyadh and Sanaa agreed to a ceasefire in 2022, they have not reached an agreement to end the war. During the truce with Saudi Arabia, Ansar Allah has fought multiple wars with Israel and the US.
While Ansar Allah is considered an ally of Tehran, Yemen has largely remained on the sidelines of the US and Israeli war against Iran. Sanaa has threatened to blockade the Red Sea and fire some missiles and drones at Israel.
