Yemen’s fragile truce was thrown into jeopardy on Monday after the internationally recognised government struck the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, triggering a Houthi retaliatory strike on Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport and a declaration that the period of de-escalation had ended. The Aden-based defence ministry said its forces targeted the runway after the Houthis insisted on receiving an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying a delegation returning from the funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader, defying requests to use a Yemeni carrier. The Houthis, who control the capital, blamed Saudi Arabia directly, with military spokesman Yahya Saree calling the attack a “blatant aggression” and vowing it would not go unanswered. Hours later, the group launched ballistic missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia; the Saudi-led coalition said air defences intercepted the threat, while the Houthis claimed the operation achieved its objectives.

Positions hardened rapidly across the region. Iran’s foreign ministry, as reported by state media, condemned the airport strike as a clear violation of international law and Yemeni sovereignty. The UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said his office was engaging all sides and urged them to refrain from actions that risk a new cycle of violence. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting where a senior UN official warned that Yemen and the wider region could not afford another escalation. The Aden government also ordered the temporary closure of all Yemeni airports and accused the Houthis of detaining an ICRC aircraft and its crew at Sanaa airport—a claim the ICRC said all staff were safe and accounted for.

The exchange marks the most serious breach of the 2022 UN-brokered truce, which had largely held despite the expiry of its formal terms. The Houthi-run foreign ministry declared the ceasefire over, and the group warned airlines to avoid Saudi airspace until what it called the blockade on Sanaa airport is lifted. The dispute centres on control of Yemeni airspace: for over a decade, the Saudi-led coalition has required prior clearance for flights, a restriction the Houthis have challenged by organising direct Iran–Sanaa flights. The incident follows weeks of tension after a similar standoff on 3 July, when the Houthis accused Saudi warplanes of harassing an Iranian aircraft. Viewed from Riyadh, the government’s action is a sovereign measure to prevent unauthorised Iranian flights that could resupply the Houthis; from Tehran and Sanaa, it is an escalation of the blockade and an attack on civilian infrastructure.

The UN envoy continues diplomatic contacts, and the Security Council is monitoring the situation. The Houthis have threatened further strikes on Saudi airports, ports, and oil facilities, while the head of the Aden-based Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, said he had ordered that the confrontation not be expanded. The coming days will test whether the parties can step back from a full resumption of hostilities.