Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Friday threatened Saudi Arabia’s airports and vital assets should Riyadh violate its airspace or attempt to attack it, as the rebels accused the kingdom of an earlier airspace intrusion.
“We warn the criminal Saudi enemy against repeating any attempt to violate our airspace or any aggression targeting our country,” military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement.
“Such actions will be met with a comprehensive response targeting its airports and vital interests on land and sea.”
Saree said the rebels had thwarted an attempt by Saudi warplanes to infiltrate their airspace at 5:20 am (0220 GMT) in a bid “to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft carrying more than 200 stranded, wounded, and sick citizens from landing at Sanaa International Airport”.
Houthi media earlier reported that the aircraft successfully landed, adding that it headed back to Tehran carrying the Houthi delegation meant to attend the funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes that triggered the Middle East war.
