Yemen’s Ansarallah said its air defenses confronted Saudi warplanes attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in Sanaa.
Key Developments
- Yemen’s Ansarallah said it launched surface-to-air missiles at Saudi warplanes near Sanaa.
- The military stated that the Saudi aircraft withdrew, allowing an Iranian civilian plane to land.
- Sanaa warned future airspace violations would trigger attacks on Saudi airports and strategic infrastructure.
Yemen Says It Confronted Saudi Warplanes
Yemen’s Armed Forces announced on Friday that they confronted Saudi warplanes after they allegedly entered Yemeni airspace in an attempt to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
Military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the incident occurred at approximately 5:20 AM local time as an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying more than 200 Yemeni passengers approached the airport.
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According to Saree, those onboard included stranded civilians, wounded people and patients returning to Yemen.
He said Yemeni air defense units responded by launching several surface-to-air missiles toward the Saudi aircraft, forcing them to withdraw and allowing the Iranian plane to land safely in Sanaa.
Yemen Warns of Wider Retaliation
In a subsequent statement, Yemen’s Armed Forces warned Saudi Arabia against any future violations of Yemeni airspace.
The military said any similar incident would trigger a “comprehensive response” targeting Saudi airports and other strategic infrastructure on land and at sea.
The statement also reiterated Yemen’s rejection of what it described as the ongoing Saudi-US blockade, saying it would not accept its continuation and would take “all legitimate measures” necessary to end it.
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“Our finger is on the trigger to carry out directives aimed at breaking the Saudi-American blockade imposed on our people and expelling the occupiers,” Saree said.
He added that Yemen’s Armed Forces remain on full alert and are prepared to implement any decisions taken by Ansar Allah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.
Iran Flight Lands in Sanaa
Earlier on Friday, Saba News Agency reported that the Iranian civilian aircraft landed successfully at Sanaa International Airport carrying more than 200 Yemeni patients and citizens stranded abroad.
According to the Yemeni Armed Forces, the flight also transported an official and popular Yemeni delegation traveling to Tehran to participate in the funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
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The military praised Iran for helping break what it described as the blockade imposed on Yemen and said flights between Sanaa and Tehran would continue “regardless of the consequences” as part of efforts to alleviate the country’s humanitarian crisis.
(PC, Al Mayadeen, SABA News Agency, Telegram)
