It’s about time the Yemeni government “ran out of patience.” In 2024, the Yemeni government warned of the Houthi threat to the “world’s digital infrastructure.” Imagine the possibility of “a fifth” of the world’s internet going down. The world economy could collapse. The Yemen government has not prioritized controlling the Houthis due to its own internal woes, including a devastating internal fragmentation. Also, Yemen depends on competing regional backers, including Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Yemen is a country beset with crises (including extensive poverty), so it avoids open conflict with the Houthis and escalating a wider regional war.
In light of all that, it is a significant gesture that Yemen has taken a stand against Iran’s violation of its airspace, along with Iran’s proxy within, the Houthis.
“Yemeni forces strike Houthi-controlled Sana’a airport runway to prevent Iranian plane from landing,” by Miriam Sela-Eitam, Shir Perets and James Glenn, Jerusalem Post, July 13, 2026:
Yemeni forces struck the runway of the Houthi-controlled Sana’a International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, the anti-Houthi Yemeni Defense Ministry confirmed.
Earlier anti-Houthi media reports in Yemen indicated that Saudi Arabia’s Air Force was responsible for the strikes.
Riyadh is the main military backer of the anti-Houthi Presidential Leadership Council, and has conducted strikes on Houthi targets, including in Sana’a, on the PLC’s behalf throughout the civil war.
At the same time, the Yemeni Defense Ministry issued a statement warning that its “patience has run out,” saying that it would respond to any Iranian and Houthi violations of Yemen’s airspace….
Sana’a residents also reported hearing several airstrikes near the airport as warplanes flew over the city.
Yemen’s Information Minister, Moamar Al-Eryani, reported that the Houthis have detained an International Committee of the Red Cross aircraft, holding its pilot and co-pilot at Sana’a airport, in a posted statement to his X/Twitter account Monday….
On Thursday, Al Jazeera reported that Yemen’s Information Minister had issued a warning to Iran and the Houthis against using direct flights between Tehran and Sana’a as a cover for transferring military personnel.
The “response will be decisive,” Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement following the strikes, according to the Houthi-aligned Al-Masirah…
Beans says
This won’t go anywhere. These Houthis and Iran understand leverage better than anybody.
If they volunteer to strike Saudi refineries, they can take out millions of barrels offline at will. Saudi Arabia wasted 90 percent of its Patriot missiles. Not that it’s even a guarantee to catch a ballistic missile.
Even a drone swarm can hit an expensive refinery. Iran is also holding back in destroying the world oil supply, an immediate depression would ensue.
Tucker’s boys have the leverage, Tucker is cheering for our defeat and the rise of BRICS.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I had no idea that Yemen had a government. Yeah, there is an entity called the IRG (Internationally Recognized Government), but they hardly have any power: they almost lost all of what used to be South Yemen to the Emirati backed Southern Transition Council a year or so ago, before the Saudis intervened and restored them to power. Also, the Houthis had easily been striking Riyadh, Israel, Abu Dhabi…. so if anyone were to control Yemen, it would have been them
It’s funny to see how these Arab countries are discovering their hitherto non-existent courage only when the islamic republic is getting bombed, but not otherwise
gravenimage says
Yemen strikes Houthi-controlled Sana’a airport runway to prevent Iranian plane from landing
……………………………………………..
I had thought that they’d pretty much rolled over–maybe not quite yet…