Yemen government says attacked Sanaa airport, reviving dormant conflict
The internationally recognized Yemeni government struck the Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. The Houthis have threatened retaliation, signaling a potential collapse of the long-standing truce.
Why it matters
This escalation risks reigniting a major regional conflict and further destabilizing maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
Yemen’s internationally-recognised government said it struck Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport on Monday (July 13, 2026), its biggest flare-up in years with the rebels, who blamed the authorities’ Saudi backers for the attack and threatened retaliation.
The government said it had wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in the capital, after failing to convince a Houthi delegation that went to Tehran for the late Iranian Supreme Leader’s funeral to board a Yemenia flight instead.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of “ending the de-escalation phase” and warned that “this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished”.
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