Saudi Jets Bomb Sanaa International Airport To Stop Iranian Passenger Plane From Landing

"The Yemeni legitimate government, in cooperation with the regional and international community, and by all diplomatic and legal means, has tried to convince the Iranian regime and the Houthi coup militias in Sana'a to return to the armed forces and not to penetrate the Yemeni airspace with the Iranian planes," an official statement said.

Residents of the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa have reported seeing warplanes flying overhead, after Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah channel indicated the strikes targeted the airport’s landing and takeoff runways.

"In an unjust aggression, the Saudi enemy carried out several airstrikes against Sanaa International Airport," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree responded. "The Saudi aggression against Sanaa airport has ended the phase of de-escalation, and it must bear the consequences of its aggression," he added.

Another senior Houthi official, Hazem al-Assad, also threatened in follow-up remarks: "The Saudi regime will discover that it has dug its own grave."

The Iranian plane in question reportedly hasn't been hit or damaged, and was safely diverted to Yemen's Hodeidah International Airport.

The "internationally recognized" Yemeni government has long been propped up by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the US, after a lengthy half-decade long UAE/Saudi/US coalition air war failed to dislodge Houthi power. The pro-Saudi government operates out of Aden in southern Yemen, after the country's president fled there a decade ago.

Earlier this month there was another attempted Saudi warplane intercept of an Iranian civilian airliner, which was reportedly carrying Yemenis who had been stranded in Iran back to their home country.

The Houthis at the time of the prior incident said it was "breaking the Saudi-American siege on our people and expelling the occupiers."

As we featured previously, since 2015 Saudi Arabia has imposed a blockade on Yemen's land, sea, and air ports, severely restricting vital commercial and humanitarian imports, including fuel and food.

An Iranian Mahan Air plane landed in Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, marking a further escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis.

Iran and its allies hailed the landing as a symbolic victory over the Saudi-led blockade. pic.twitter.com/YSjcGMd4s2

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 13, 2026

The blockade triggered what the UN called one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally, leading millions towards famine and drastically damaging healthcare and water systems.

The Houthis continue to be an important side-player related to the US-Iran war, given they've continually threatened to block the key Bab el Mandab Strait and return the war to the Red Sea region.