Saudi Arabia has launched airstrikes hitting Sanaa International Airport and mobilized forces by sea following Houthi missile and drone attacks. The escalation threatens a 2022 truce and opens a volatile second front in the wider regional conflict involving the United States and Iran.
Sanaa Airport Strikes and the Breakdown of De-Escalation
The military action followed a sequence of events triggered when an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation landed in Sanaa after the delegation attended the funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to reporting from Reuters, more than 200 patients were among other passengers on board the flight.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia in the nation’s south, argued that the runway strike was intended to prevent the Iranian aircraft from landing. Gen. Taher al-Aqili, the government’s defense minister, warned against the infiltration of Yemeni airspace by Iranian aircraft in a video statement released shortly before the bombardment.
“At this moment, we say that our patience has run out. Accordingly, we will respond appropriately to this treacherous and brutal act, and we will confront and deal with the hostile aircraft violating Yemeni airspace and sovereignty by all available means.”
Gen. Taher al-Aqili, Government’s Defense Minister
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi official, condemned the operation on Telegram by declaring an immediate end to the de-escalation phase and warning that this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished. Rashad al-Alimi, who leads Yemen’s ruling Presidential Leadership Council, confirmed that Iran had requested the Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Sanaa to return the delegation home.
Red Sea Blockade Threats and Oil Infrastructure Strikes
The deteriorating security situation quickly spread from the capital to critical maritime choke points. Soon after, the Iran-backed group launched missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia in direct response to Saudi airstrikes on the strategic Red Sea city of Hodeida.
Greek security sources cited by CNBC reported that air defense systems in Saudi Arabia intercepted two ballistic missiles targeting oil refineries in Yanbu. The defense hardware was operated by Greek military personnel. Saudi Civil Defence issued safety warnings for the Red Sea hub before confirming that the danger had passed with no immediate reports of structural damage.
Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, defended the counter-offensives by emphasizing that the kingdom’s strikes focused solely on legitimate military targets that the terrorist Houthi militia uses to threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The coalition also stated that Houthi threats aimed to divert attention away from the group’s own violations against the Yemeni people.
Maritime Defense Alliances and Potential Ground Operations
Amid fears of a severe squeeze on global energy supplies, Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for a major offensive against the Houthis by sea, alongside possible ground operations. Reporting from Timesofisrael indicates that Saudi forces have begun withdrawing from eastern Yemen in a potential precursor to a ground assault.
To protect regional shipping, the Saudi defense ministry joined 13 other nations to announce a new maritime defense alliance securing navigation around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The coalition includes Bahrain, Bangladesh, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Turkey, and Yemen, with additional support requested from the United States and European nations.
The strategic stakes remain exceptionally high for international commerce. Navigating through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Asia takes approximately 16 days, compared to 50 days if cargo vessels are forced to detour around southern Africa via the Suez Canal and northern Red Sea. Any prolonged closure threatens to sever a vital alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying global supply pressures as Washington and Tehran continue their broader standoff.
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