Strike on Sanaa Airport Amid Dispute Over Iranian Aircraft Landing in Yemen

A strike targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport on Monday, July 13, 2026. The stated purpose of the strike was to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing there.

A Yemeni delegation had traveled to Iran to attend funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The delegation was returning to Yemen when the airport strike occurred.

Following the strike, the Houthis declared the end of Yemen's de-escalation phase. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated the strike would not pass without retribution and that Saudi Arabia bears full responsibility for the consequences.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities regarding the allegations or the reported strike.

The Houthis seized Sanaa more than a decade ago, forcing the internationally recognized government to relocate to the southern port of Aden, where it retains the backing of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Yemen's civil war has divided the country between Houthi-controlled territory in the north and areas controlled by the internationally recognized government.

Earlier in July 2026, the Houthis had accused Saudi Arabia of attacking an Iranian plane that had previously landed in and departed from Sanaa. The Houthis had threatened to strike Saudi airports and vital assets if Saudi Arabia attempted to attack another Iranian plane.

Center-right Israeli outlets characterized the strike as the biggest escalation in years between Yemen's internationally recognized government and the Houthis. The Times of Israel noted the incident raised the prospect of renewed Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia after years of relative calm.

Left-leaning outlets identified the Houthis as part of Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' and described their regional positioning as allies of Tehran in confrontations with the United States and Israel. Middle East Eye reported that a UN-backed truce between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, reached in 2022, had sharply reduced cross-border attacks and opened the door to negotiations aimed at ending Yemen's war.

The Houthis characterized the strike as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty and a breach of the 2022 ceasefire agreement, according to left-leaning outlets. The Houthi foreign ministry characterized the strike as a Saudi declaration of war, stating Saudi Arabia bears full responsibility for any consequences.

Center-right Israeli outlets reported that the Yemeni defense ministry stated it had exhausted diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran and the Houthis to stop what it described as Iranian aircraft violating Yemeni airspace before resorting to the strike. According to these sources, the Yemeni government failed to convince the Houthi delegation returning from Iran to board a Yemenia flight instead of an Iranian aircraft.

The Times of Israel reported that the Yemeni defense ministry accused the Houthis of preventing Yemeni national aircraft from landing at Sanaa airport while insisting on allowing an Iranian plane to violate Yemeni territory. The defense minister warned that government forces would respond to any hostile aircraft violating Yemen's airspace 'by all available means' and held Iran responsible.

Left-leaning outlets reported that Rashad al-Alimi, leader of Yemen's Saudi-backed Aden-based governing council, stated on Monday that he would not expand confrontation with the Houthis, arguing that doing so would serve Iran's objective of dragging Yemen into wars. Middle East Eye also reported that Yemen's civil aviation authority ordered the closure of all airports to air traffic until further notice following the strike.

Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani accused the Houthis of detaining an ICRC aircraft at Sanaa airport and holding its pilot and co-pilot. No Houthi response to this accusation was reported.

Yemen's internationally recognized government claimed responsibility for the strike on Sanaa airport, while the Houthis attributed the strike to Saudi Arabia. Both positions were reported across left-leaning and center-right outlets, representing a direct dispute over who conducted the operation.

Whether the Iranian aircraft successfully landed in Yemen is disputed. The Houthis claimed the plane landed safely, with the Houthi transportation minister stating the aircraft carried medical patients and stranded citizens accompanied by the official Yemeni delegation. The Houthis showed footage of an aircraft arriving at Hodeidah Airport. The recognized government made no such acknowledgment of a successful landing.