Houthis Fire Missiles at Saudi Airport After Yemen Bombs Sanaa Runway, Threatening 12% Trade Chokepoint
Updated
Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 14
Houthis Fire Missiles at Saudi Airport After Yemen Bombs Sanaa Runway, Threatening 12% Trade Chokepoint
3 articles · Updated · Al Jazeera English · Jul 14
Summary
Ballistic missiles and drones targeted Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport after Yemen’s government struck Sanaa airport’s runway to stop an Iranian plane from landing; Saudi defenses intercepted the attack and reported no casualties.
The runway strike was aimed at an aircraft the government said carried Iranian military experts, drone technology and communications gear, while the Houthis said it was carrying more than 200 stranded medical patients and a returning delegation.
Houthi leaders blamed Riyadh for the Sanaa attack and declared the four-year informal de-escalation with Saudi Arabia over, raising the risk that fighting spreads beyond the airport dispute.
Bab al-Mandeb, a 29-km strait carrying about 12% of global trade and 4 million barrels a day of oil in 2024, is now a key concern as Hormuz remains shut.
A simultaneous disruption of Bab al-Mandeb and Hormuz could block roughly 25% of global oil and gas supply, force 10-14 day reroutes around Africa and undercut Saudi Arabia’s 7 million-bpd Red Sea export bypass.