Yemen's Houthis say Sanaa airport bombed
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MEE and agencies
on
Mon, 07/13/2026 - 14:09
The group blamed Saudi Arabia, saying Riyadh will face consequences for violating the 2022 ceasefire
Smoke rises after an air strike struck Sanaa International Airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, 13 July 2026 (Khaled Abdullah/Reuters)
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Yemen's Houthi movement declared the end of the country's de-escalation phase on Sunday and vowed retaliation, alleging that Saudi Arabia carried out air strikes on Sanaa International Airport.
Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni armed forces aligned with the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, said the attack marked the conclusion of efforts to maintain calm between the two sides.
"The targeting of Sanaa Airport ends the de-escalation phase," Saree said, adding that the strike "will not pass without retribution."
There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities regarding the allegations or the reported strike.
Reuters reported that Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani accused the Houthis of detaining an International Committee of the Red Cross aircraft at Sanaa airport and holding its pilot and co-pilot. No immediate comment from the Houthis was reported.
In a separate statement, the Houthi foreign ministry accused Saudi Arabia of restarting the conflict and bearing responsibility for any consequences.
"Saudi Arabia has announced the start of the war and bears full responsibility for it and for any consequences of this step," the ministry said.
The Houthis said the strike was carried out "without any justification" and described it as a violation of Yemen's sovereignty and a breach of the 2022 ceasefire agreement.
Sharp escalation
The escalation came as a Yemeni delegation returned from Iran, where it had attended funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Footage circulated by Houthi-affiliated media showed Nasr al-Din Amer, deputy head of Ansar Allah's Media Authority, aboard an Iranian Mahan Air flight before its departure from Iran.
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According to the group, Saudi Arabia sought to prevent the aircraft from landing in Yemen. However, separate footage later showed an Iranian aircraft landing safely at Hodeidah Airport on the Red Sea coast.
The developments threaten to undo years of relative calm between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis following a UN-backed truce that sharply reduced cross-border attacks and opened the door to negotiations aimed at ending Yemen's long-running war.
The Houthis are part of Iran's "Axis of Resistance" along with Hezbollah in Lebanon and allied armed factions in Iraq.
The movement has positioned itself as a regional ally of Tehran in confrontations with the United States and Israel.
The latest tensions come amid a sharp escalation across the region over the past week.
The United States and Iran have exchanged strikes following attacks on shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian forces launched missile and drone attacks targeting US-linked military assets in the Gulf and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
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