Houthis launch missiles at Saudi Arabia after Sanaa airport strike

The Houthi movement announced that it had fired a volley of ballistic missiles and drones toward Abha International Airport in Saudi Arabia on Monday. This launch was described as a retaliation for a Saudi-led coalition strike that damaged Sanaa’s international airport, which Yemen’s government claimed was aimed at preventing an Iranian aircraft from landing.

Saudi air defences reported that they had intercepted all of the Houthi missiles and drones. No injuries or damage on the Saudi side were reported at the time of the statement.

The Houthis said the attacks signified the end of the de-escalation phase between the groups and that the strikes would not go unpunished. The spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition, Yahya Saree, criticised the attacks and warned airlines against flying through Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa airport ended.

International organisations have reacted to the escalation. A UN Security Council emergency session in New York saw Assistant Secretary General Khaled Khiari urge parties to engage in constructive negotiations. The UK condemned the “reckless” Houthi attacks, citing regional security concerns. Iran’s foreign ministry jointly condemned the Saudi strike on Sanaa airport as a violation of international law.

The incident comes amid a decade‑long civil war in Yemen, which erupted in 2014 when the Houthis seized power in the capital and has since drawn in the Saudi-led coalition. Estimates place the death toll above 150,000 and fuel a humanitarian crisis that affects more than 22 million people across the country.