Yemeni government forces bombed the runway at Sana'a International Airport on July 13, preventing an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing in the Houthi-held capital. The Mahan Air flight diverted to Hudaydah airport after the strike, the Yemeni defense ministry said.
The escalation signals a fraying of the 2022 ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Houthi fighters fired six missiles at Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia in apparent retaliation. The Aden-based government has declared a state of permanent session, while Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei condemned the Sana'a strike as a violation of international law that endangers the political process.
Tensions have mounted since an Iranian aircraft carried a Houthi delegation to Tehran on July 3 for funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Yemen's information minister also alleged that Houthi forces are seizing an International Committee of the Red Cross aircraft.