A blocked Iranian flight is behind latest spiral of violence between Saudis and Houthis
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) — A volley of fire between the Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia has threatened to upend a 2022 truce in Yemen and open another front in the already expanding war in the Middle East after the collapse of the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran.“Yemen today faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022, ” UN envoy Hans Grundberg warned.The escalation, he said, risks “jeopardizing the gains of the 2022 truce… while also drawing the country into a broader regional confrontation, with devastating consequences for its people.”Grundberg said he has engaged in intensive talks with Yemeni parties and regional governments to avert further escalation.The tit-for-tat attacks started July 13 with a Saudi airstrike that hit the runway of the airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, preventing the landing of an Iranian flight carrying a high-ranking Houthi…
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A recent surge in hostilities between Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia threatens to unravel the 2022 UN-brokered truce in Yemen, potentially escalating the conflict into a broader regional confrontation. The current escalation began on July 13 when a Saudi airstrike disabled Sanaa airport, preventing an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation from landing. This flight, operated without prior coalition permission, was seen as a Houthi attempt to challenge Saudi control over Yemeni airspace and secure political and economic concessions, including lifting the blockade on Houthi-controlled territories. UN envoy Hans Grundberg warned that "Yemen today faces a greater risk of renewed large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-brokered truce of April 2022."
- Following the Sanaa airport strike, Houthis attacked Abha airport in Saudi Arabia, announced a Red Sea shipping blockade, and targeted Saudi vessels and oil facilities.
- The Saudi-led coalition retaliated with strikes on Hodeida and Kamaran and reinforced Yemeni troops for a potential ground offensive.
- Houthis launched missiles and drones on military camps in central and southern Yemen, killing dozens, and severely damaged the port of Mokha.
- Analysts suggest this escalation reflects Iran's strategy to create leverage and a shift in Houthi priorities towards asserting sovereignty over Yemeni airspace and waters, making future compromises more difficult.
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