Yemen's Houthi rebels launched missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport on July 13, 2026, breaking a fragile four-year truce. The attack came in retaliation for a Yemeni government airstrike on the Sanaa airport runway, which aimed to block an unauthorized Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation. While Saudi air defenses intercepted the Houthi missiles, the sudden escalation has triggered emergency UN Security Council meetings amid fears of a wider regional conflict.
Houthi strikes on Saudi Arabia
- ▪Saudi Arabian air defenses intercepted the ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward the country's southern region on July 13, 2026
- ▪Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree warned commercial airlines against flying through Saudi Arabian airspace until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted
- ▪Yemen's Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones targeting Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia on July 13, 2026
Iranian plane airspace dispute
- ▪Yemen's Defense Minister Gen. Taher al-Aqili stated that the Sanaa airport runway was struck to stop an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation back from the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
- ▪Yemen's internationally recognized government claimed responsibility for striking the runway at Sanaa International Airport on July 13, 2026, to prevent an Iranian plane from landing
- ▪Yemen's ruling Presidential Leadership Council, led by Rashad al-Alimi, denied a request by Iran to operate a Mahan Air flight from Tehran to Sanaa
- ▪The Iranian plane blocked from landing at Sanaa International Airport was diverted and safely landed at the Houthi-controlled Hodeidah airport
Sanaa airport airstrike
- ▪An airstrike hit the runway of Sanaa International Airport on July 13, 2026, causing a loud explosion and rising smoke
- ▪Following the airstrike on Sanaa International Airport, Yemen's internationally recognized government ordered the immediate closure of all Yemeni airports and evacuated the surrounding areas
- ▪Yemeni government officials accused the Houthis of detaining an International Committee of the Red Cross plane and its crew at Sanaa airport, though the ICRC confirmed its staff and crew were safe
UN escalation concerns
- ▪United Nations Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari warned the UN Security Council during an emergency meeting that Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation
- ▪United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed concern over the risk of wider escalation and urged all parties to engage in dialogue to preserve relative calm
Yemen civil war background
- ▪A Saudi-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government, triggering a severe humanitarian crisis
- ▪Yemen's civil war began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital city of Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government into exile
- ▪Tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition rose after a UAE-backed separatist movement swept through southern Yemen, leading to the UAE's withdrawal from the coalition
Saudi-Houthi truce ending
- ▪The breakdown of the four-year truce followed the collapse of an ICRC-mediated prisoner exchange deal between the Houthis and the Yemeni government
- ▪The Houthi missile and drone strikes on July 13, 2026, broke an informal truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis that had largely held since March 2022
Story comments
Loading comments…