The spokesperson for the Houthi regime stated that the insurgent group will attack Saudi Arabia's vital interests
According to the Houthi leader, Saudi planes were trying to prevent the landing at Sana'a International Airport of a plane from the Iranian airline Mahan Air, which transported a Houthi delegation to Tehran to attend the funeral ceremonies of the Iranian spiritual leader Ali Jamenei.
This episode once again highlighted the close relationship between the Houthis and the Iranian regime. Mahan Air has been pointed out on several occasions by Western governments due to links with Iranian security forces and for its role in transporting personnel and material to Tehran's regional allies.
Saudi Arabia warned this Saturday that it will respond with "unprecedented force" if the Yemeni Houthi rebels carry out their threat to attack Saudi territory and its airports, in a new episode of tension between the military coalition led by Riyadh and the militia backed by the Iranian regime.
The warning was issued by the military spokesperson of the coalition, Turki al Maliki, who stated that any aggression against the kingdom will receive an immediate and forceful response.
''The coalition will respond and attack with all firmness, and with unprecedented force, to any attempt to harm the kingdom, its citizens, and its national assets,'' Al Maliki affirmed in a statement released a few hours after the threats made by the Houthis.
The Saudi pronouncement came after the Houthi military spokesperson, Yehya Sarea, announced that the insurgent group will attack the "vital interests" of Saudi Arabia, including its airports, if the coalition maintains restrictions on the airspace of the areas in Yemen controlled by the rebels since the beginning of the military intervention in 2015.
A spokesperson for the coalition led by Saudi Arabia warned that Riyadh will respond in a ''unprecedented'' manner to an attack by the Houthi group
The new threats rekindle a conflict that has been ongoing for more than a decade and have turned Yemen into one of the main arenas of indirect confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Iran. During this time, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones against Saudi cities, airports, and energy facilities, attacks that have been condemned by numerous countries for endangering civilian populations and regional stability.
Riyadh maintains that the restrictions on the airspace and ports controlled by the insurgents are for security reasons and aim to prevent the Iranian regime from continuing to supply weapons to the militia. Various Western and Arab governments have accused Tehran of providing missiles, drones, training, and military assistance to the Houthis, an accusation that Iranian authorities deny.
In his statement, Al Maliki also reiterated Saudi support for the internationally recognized Yemeni government and assured that the coalition will respond with the same firmness to any violation of Yemeni sovereignty.
The Saudi spokesperson, however, refrained from commenting on Sarea's claim that the Houthis fired missiles on Friday to force Saudi fighter jets to leave the airspace of the areas under insurgent control in the center, north, and west of the country.
For Saudi Arabia, allowing uncontrolled flights to Houthi-dominated areas poses a security risk, as it considers that these connections could facilitate the entry of weapons, missile components, and drones or military advisors intended to strengthen the militia's offensive capabilities.
In his statement, Al Maliki described the Houthi threats as a new demonstration of the group's "hostile behavior" and asserted that they are part of a strategy aimed at destabilizing regional and international security.
The airline Mahan Air has faced serious accusations of closely collaborating with the Iranian regime and has been restricted in several countries
He also recalled that the Houthis have rejected various peace initiatives promoted over the past years and held the organization responsible for attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea, actions that disrupted international trade, increased maritime transport costs, and prompted military intervention by the United States and Israel against militia positions in Yemen.
The Saudi spokesperson also stated that the confrontation strategy adopted by the insurgents has resulted in severe damage in the areas under their control, including infrastructure such as ports and Sana'a airport, which have been hit by retaliatory bombings following Houthi attacks on international interests.
Although commercial flights to and from Sana'a were partially resumed in 2022 thanks to an agreement promoted by the United Nations to facilitate humanitarian operations and the transfer of patients, air traffic remains limited due to security conditions and restrictions imposed by the coalition.
Houthi terrorists have rejected multiple peace proposals and have attacked various vessels in the Gulf of Aden
