Houthi Rebels Threaten Saudi Arabia with Devastating War Over Iranian Plane Landing

Tensions between Yemen's Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia have escalated sharply after the Houthis issued a severe warning to Riyadh against attempting to intercept or block the landing of an Iranian plane belonging to Mahan Air in Sanaa. According to the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, the plane is expected to return members of a delegation who attended the funeral of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The Houthi threat coincides with Saudi-led regional diplomatic efforts to ease tensions with Sanaa.

Abdallah al-Naimi, a member of the Houthi political bureau, warned that any Saudi blockade of the plane could trigger "a war that will leave nothing behind." He emphasized that the Yemeni people have resolved to break the siege regardless of the cost. Meanwhile, a Saudi military expert revealed on social media that Riyadh offered the Yemeni delegation a non-Iranian plane for their return, a proposal reportedly brokered by Oman to maintain regional calm. The Houthis rejected this offer outright and intensified their threats.

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh to discuss the latest developments in Yemen. Political sources in Sanaa mocked the Saudi proposal, asserting that the first step to break the siege is already underway with the Iranian flight, making any reversal impossible. A senior Houthi official declared that flights between Sanaa airport and Tehran will continue in the coming days regardless of opposition.

Earlier, the Houthi negotiation team reiterated their Foreign Ministry's statement that the decision to break the Saudi-American blockade on Sanaa airport is final and irreversible. The statement warned that any further Saudi attacks on Yemen would be met with strikes on strategic infrastructure, oil fields, storage facilities, pipelines, and all Aramco installations, which would also impact financial markets and Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 projects.