Yemen government says it attacked Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport, reviving dormant conflict

Yemen's internationally recognized government launched airstrikes on Sanaa airport on Monday, escalating its conflict with Houthi rebels in the most significant flare-up in years. The government claimed the strikes were necessary to prevent an Iranian plane from landing in the capital.

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this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished

Rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of initiating the aggression and warned of severe retaliation. He stated the attack marked the end of a de-escalation phase. The incident threatens to collapse the fragile truce that has held since 2022, particularly as regional tensions rise with U.S. and Iran engaging in retaliatory attacks impacting the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemen's defense ministry accused the Houthis of allowing an Iranian plane to violate Yemeni airspace, leading to the targeting of the airport runway. Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, ordered that the scope of the confrontation not be expanded.

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ordered that the scope of the confrontation not be expanded

Analysts warn of a potential return to intense conflict. Mohammed al-Basha of Basha Report told AFP that the ongoing cycle of action and retaliation could signal the collapse of the April 2022 ceasefire. The next move regarding the Iranian plane, which the Houthis claimed had landed, will likely determine the trajectory of the conflict.

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If this cycle of action and retaliation continues, it could effectively mark the collapse of the April 2022 ceasefire framework and signal a return to a much more intense phase of the conflict.