Saudi Arabia launched multiple airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport on 13 July, targeting the runways shortly after an Iranian Mahan Air flight landed and another was en route. The Houthi-run armed forces spokesman, Brigadier Yahya Saree, said the attack “ended the phase of de-escalation” and warned that “this aggression will not pass without response and punishment.” The Yemeni foreign ministry in Sanaa described the strikes as an “unprecedented step” that “announced the beginning of war,” holding Riyadh fully responsible for the consequences.

The internationally recognised Yemeni government, based in Aden, stated through its defence ministry that it had struck the airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, accusing Tehran of flying in military and security personnel as well as drone and missile experts. It demanded the airport be evacuated and warned it would confront any violation of Yemeni airspace. Saudi Arabia itself issued no immediate comment. Houthi officials, however, framed the operation as American-directed, with Ansar Allah’s political bureau asserting the attack was “carried out on American orders” to preserve the blockade. The group’s negotiator, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said the strikes revealed that Riyadh “does not believe in any peace with its Yemeni neighbour.”

The airstrikes followed two Iranian civilian flights to Sanaa within a fortnight, which the Houthis and Tehran presented as the breaking of a years-long air blockade. Iran’s foreign ministry had earlier declared that any territory used to attack Iran would be subject to its defensive measures, and the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters warned regional states that any logistical support for the US military would be considered an act of war against Iranian sovereignty. These statements came as Iranian media reported US strikes on eight cities in Khuzestan province and explosions near Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island. The IRGC claimed its operations had rendered the US military “incapable” and that continued American intervention would trigger “larger and more severe events in the global oil and gas sector.”

The escalation rippled through energy markets, with Reuters reporting a 5 percent jump in US and Brent crude futures. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident 50 nautical miles south of Aden, where a tanker was approached by six small boats and a clash with the onboard security team occurred. Former US President Donald Trump, in a statement carried by Al-Manar, said America would immediately reimpose a blockade on Iran and protect the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for a 20 percent levy on all transiting cargo. Viewed from Sanaa, the airport strike and the Iranian flights have become a test of the blockade’s durability; from Riyadh and Aden, they represent an Iranian attempt to entrench military influence. The dossier remains open, with Houthi leaders promising a “devastating” response and no indication of diplomatic off-ramps.