Yemen’s internationally recognized government said on Monday that its armed forces struck the runway at Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing on Yemeni soil.What happened: In a brief statement cited by the official SABA news agency, the Aden-based Yemeni Ministry of Defense accused the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group of preventing a Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the capital’s airport and allowing an Iranian plane to enter Yemeni airspace.“Therefore, the airport runway was targeted,” the ministry said.According to local reports, the Iranian Mahan Air aircraft changed course and landed at the nearby Hodeidah Airport, which is under the control of the Houthi group. The plane was carrying Houthis coming back from the funeral procession of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes at the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28. BREAKING: Circulating video shows the Houthi delegation arriving at Hodeidah Airport from Iran.Houthi officials said the flight had “broken the Saudi blockade by force” and that a response to the strikes on Sanaa International Airport is coming. pic.twitter.com/UtHvDNK1KR— Ahmad Algohbary (@AhmadAlgohbary) July 13, 2026