A Mahan Air passenger aircraft carrying a senior Houthi delegation was forced to divert to the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday, 13 July, after airstrikes attributed to Yemen's internationally recognised Armed Forces struck the runway at Sanaa International Airport, preventing the plane from landing in the Houthi-held capital. The incident marks a sharp escalation in the ongoing conflict between Yemen's warring factions over Iranian aircraft access to Yemeni airspace.

How the diversion unfolded

The Iranian aircraft had been carrying Houthi officials returning from Tehran, where they had attended the funeral ceremonies of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. When the plane attempted to land at Sanaa International Airport, the Yemeni Armed Forces claimed responsibility for striking the runway, stating the action was taken after the Houthi group rejected government proposals that would have allowed the delegation to return aboard a non-Iranian aircraft under government supervision.

A military commander with the Houthi group confirmed the plane subsequently landed in Hodeidah, a western port city under Houthi control. The same source claimed that Saudi warplanes also launched strikes on Hodeidah airport in an attempt to prevent the aircraft from landing there as well.

Government's position and airport closure

Yemen's Defence Minister Taher al-Aqili had warned earlier on Monday that the armed forces would intercept any 'hostile aircraft' violating Yemen's airspace. He stated that the government had exhausted diplomatic efforts to persuade both the Houthis and Iran to cease what he described as 'repeated violations' of the country's sovereignty.

Following the strikes, Yemen's internationally recognised government ordered the closure of all airports across the country and suspended all civilian flight operations until further notice, according to reports.

Houthi response and Saudi accusation

The Houthi group characterised the strikes as a major escalation, accusing Saudi Arabia — a principal ally of Yemen's government — of carrying out the attacks on Sanaa airport. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea warned the strike 'will not go unanswered,' while the group's political bureau declared it marked the beginning of a 'new phase' in confronting Saudi Arabia. Local residents reported hearing multiple explosions in and around the airport and observed plumes of smoke rising from the area.

Background: A week of mounting tensions

The diversion did not occur in isolation. The latest escalation follows more than a week of intensifying tensions between Yemen's warring sides over direct flights between Tehran and Sanaa. Last week, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council called for an international investigation into a previous Iranian aircraft that had landed in Sanaa, alleging it had transported Iranian military personnel, drone and missile specialists, and Yemeni trainees under the guise of a civilian flight. The Houthis rejected those allegations, insisting the flight was entirely civilian in nature.

With all Yemeni airports now closed and both sides trading accusations, the standoff over Iranian flight access risks deepening into a broader confrontation — one that could further complicate already fragile ceasefire dynamics in the country.