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Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani on Monday accused the Houthi group of "detaining a plane belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sanaa Airport and preventing it from departing," noting that the pilot and co-pilot were held hostage.

In a post on his account on X platform, al-Eryani said that this measure constitutes "a dangerous escalation and a violation of international humanitarian law and international norms and conventions that guarantee the protection of humanitarian missions and their workers."

He added that what he described as "criminal behavior" reflects "the group's non-compliance with legal and humanitarian standards," accusing it of using humanitarian institutions and their staff "as tools for blackmail and political pressure."

In these moments, the terrorist Houthi militia detained the plane of the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sanaa Airport, prevented it from leaving, and also detained the pilot and co-pilot as hostages, in a dangerous escalation and blatant violation of international humanitarian law and all international norms and conventions that guarantee the protection of missions... — Moammar al-Eryani (@ERYANIM) July 13, 2026

The Yemeni information minister called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, and the international community to condemn the incident, take action for the immediate release of the aircraft and its crew, hold those responsible accountable, and put an end to violations against humanitarian work in Yemen.

Receiving an Iranian Flight

Meanwhile, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said that recent developments in the country confirm the Houthi group's continued, as he described it, "undermining of de-escalation efforts and rejection of initiatives aimed at protecting citizens' interests."

In a statement, al-Alimi added that the Houthi group, despite mediation and efforts aimed at containing the situation, received a new Iranian flight outside what he described as the legal and sovereign frameworks regulating civil aviation movement.

He also noted that the Yemeni government had expressed its willingness to resume civilian flights through Yemen Airways, as the national carrier, in addition to facilitating the transport of Houthi elements from Tehran to Sanaa via a plane chartered from Yemen Airways, in a way that preserves citizens' interests, ensures the continued operation of the airport, and at the same time respects the sovereignty of the Yemeni state, according to the statement.

Al-Alimi accused the Houthi group of rejecting these initiatives and seeking to impose a reality outside state institutions, holding it responsible for what he described as escalation and violation of Yemeni sovereignty.

It is noteworthy that a few days ago, a plane belonging to the Iranian Mahan Air arrived at Sanaa Airport from Tehran, in a step described by the Yemeni government as a "dangerous escalation" and "a blatant violation of Yemeni sovereignty."

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