Smoke rises after air strikes near Sanaa's international airport in the rebel-held capital of Yemen. ReutersInfoDefence ministry of internationally recognised government says it attacked runway to prevent Iranian plane landingThe NationalJuly 13, 2026Air strikes on Monday hit the international airport in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital of Yemen, said the rebels and the country's exiled government. The Ministry of Defence of Yemen's internationally recognised government said it attacked the runway to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing on Yemeni soil.The Iran-backed Houthis took over the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting intervention by a Saudi-led coalition the following year, at the request of the internationally recognised government."The Houthi terrorist militias, supported by the Iranian regime, prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the capital's airport, Sanaa, and insisted that the Iranian aircraft violate Yemeni airspace. Therefore, the airport runway was targeted," the ministry said in a statement.Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree, in a statement, accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out Monday's strikes.The group added that the attacks ended the de-escalation phase, and it said that Saudi Arabia "must bear the consequences of its aggression". There was no immediate comment from the Saudi-led coalition.Last week, Yemen's government said its forces repelled a Houthi assault south of the port city of Hodeidah, claiming they inflicted heavy casualties on the Iran-backed group in the most violent clashes in years.Although a UN-brokered truce in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, sporadic clashes have continued.The latest confrontation comes after the Houthis renewed threats to target airports and other key infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen's internationally recognised government.Updated: July 13, 2026, 11:36 AM