**Houthis Accuse Saudi Arabia of Airstrikes on Sanaa Airport, Promise Retaliation**
The Houthi movement, which controls northern Yemen and is aligned with Iran, has accused Saudi Arabia of conducting airstrikes against Sanaa International Airport. The allegations were made on Monday by Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree, who characterized the strikes as "blatant aggression" and indicated that they signify the end of a recent period of de-escalation in the ongoing conflict.
Saree warned that Saudi Arabia would face consequences for the attacks and emphasized that the Houthis would not let the incident go unanswered. The Saudi government has yet to respond to these accusations.
In a related development, the defense ministry of Yemen's internationally recognized government claimed that its armed forces targeted the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. According to a spokesperson for Yemen's armed forces, the aircraft successfully landed at Hodeidah airport, which is also under Houthi control.
The internationally recognized government of Yemen operates from the southern port city of Aden and is backed by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The ongoing conflict in Yemen has persisted for over a decade, beginning when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and forced the government to relocate southward.
The war has seen a complex interplay of local and regional powers, with the Saudi-led coalition fighting against the Houthis, resulting in one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises. Although a truce was established in 2022, tensions have escalated recently, particularly in connection with the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has seen the Houthis engage in attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Adding to the tensions, Moammar bin Mutahar Al-Eryan, the information minister in the internationally recognized government, reported that the Houthis are detaining an aircraft belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sanaa airport, along with its pilot and co-pilot. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by humanitarian organizations operating in Yemen.
Earlier on Monday, Yemen's defense minister stated that diplomatic efforts to persuade Iran and the Houthis to cease what he described as violations of Yemeni airspace had been exhausted. He reiterated that government forces would respond to any hostile aircraft infringing upon Yemen's airspace "by all available means" and placed responsibility for the situation on Iran.
The conflict in Yemen continues to be marked by shifting alliances and ongoing violence, with both local and international ramifications. As the situation develops, the potential for further escalation remains a significant concern for both regional stability and humanitarian efforts in the war-torn country.