Yemeni Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Taher Al-Aqeeli, announced in a televised statement on behalf of the Yemeni armed forces that the army will deal with any violation of Yemeni airspace by Iran or the Houthi group, stressing that the government has exhausted, in his words, all political and diplomatic efforts before announcing this position.

Al-Aqeeli said the government made efforts to persuade Iran and the Houthi group to desist from what he described as 'violations' and to respect Yemen's sovereignty, and also sought to spare the country the repercussions of regional escalation and prevent the use of its airspace for any military operations, but those efforts 'did not achieve the desired results,' adding that 'patience has run out,' and that the armed forces will respond 'in an appropriate manner' to any new violation.

The Minister of Defense affirmed that the armed forces will confront any hostile aircraft that violates Yemeni airspace and will use available military means to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing that continued violations of Yemeni airspace 'will not be acceptable.'

The statement held Iran legally and politically responsible for any violation of Yemeni airspace, considering that its continued support for the Houthis and its interference in Yemeni affairs, according to the statement, undermines the country's security and threatens regional stability. It added that the armed forces 'will not tolerate any aggression affecting national sovereignty,' affirming that they have full readiness to deal with any threats targeting national security.

Al-Aqeeli said that the armed forces are continuously monitoring field developments, and that protecting Yemen's sovereignty is a non-negotiable priority, stressing that the army will continue to perform its duties in defending the country 'by land, sea, and air,' and that any attempt to breach Yemeni airspace will be met with measures proportional to the nature of the threat.

The statement comes amid rising regional tension and the widening confrontation between the United States and Iran, accompanied by mutual attacks and strikes, which has raised fears of the escalation spilling over into new arenas in the region. It also coincides with growing mutual accusations regarding the use of the territories and airspace of regional countries in military operations.

The statement is one of the most hardline official Yemeni positions since the start of the recent wave of escalation, moving from emphasizing the priority of political and diplomatic solutions to announcing readiness to take direct military action against any new violation of Yemeni airspace, while holding Iran fully responsible for any repercussions that may result from that, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi, held the Houthi group responsible for the recent escalation, accusing them of rejecting political initiatives and continuing what he described as violating Yemeni sovereignty.

He said the group proceeded with receiving an Iranian flight to Sana'a airport outside the legal frameworks regulating civil aviation traffic, despite the efforts and mediations made by regional and international parties to contain the situation.

Al-Alimi affirmed that the government had offered to resume civilian flights via Yemenia Airways, as the national carrier legally authorized to operate flights to and from Sana'a airport, and also expressed its readiness to operate a flight via a chartered plane to transport Houthi elements from Tehran to Sana'a, in order to maintain the airport's operation and respect state sovereignty, but the group rejected those proposals, according to the statement.

The head of the Presidential Leadership Council directed the government, armed forces, and security agencies to continue raising readiness levels and take necessary political, diplomatic, and legal measures to protect Yemeni sovereignty and prevent the recurrence of what he described as violations, holding the Houthi group fully responsible for the repercussions of the escalation, and calling on the international community to move from the stage of condemnation to the stage of deterrence, through implementing relevant Security Council resolutions and applying the sanctions regime.

In these moments, the terrorist Houthi militia has detained a plane belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sana'a airport, prevented it from departing, and also detained the pilot and co-pilot as hostages, in a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and all international customs and conventions that guarantee the protection of missions... — Moammar Al-Eryani (@ERYANIM) July 13, 2026

In a parallel development, Yemeni Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Moammar Al-Eryani, accused the Houthi group of detaining a plane belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross at Sana'a airport, preventing it from leaving, along with detaining the pilot and co-pilot.

He described the step as a 'dangerous escalation' and a 'flagrant violation of international humanitarian law,' considering it reflects the group's continued use of humanitarian institutions and their workers, in his words, as 'tools for blackmail and political pressure.'

Al-Eryani called on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations, and the international community to urgently intervene to release the plane and its crew, hold those responsible for the incident accountable, and put an end to what he described as ongoing violations against humanitarian work in Yemen.