Houthis Warn Airlines Saudi Airspace Is 'Unsafe' as Yemen Offensive Escalates

Yemen's Houthis warned on Monday that Saudi Arabia's airspace is unsafe for civilian flights and would become a "theater" for their forces' operations, a sharp escalation as Saudi-backed Yemeni government troops press a new offensive against the Iran-aligned group.

What the Houthis said

The warning was issued by the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center and published by the group's Saba news agency on Monday afternoon.

"As a result of the Saudi aggression on our country with its aircraft And out of our keenness for the security and safety of civil aviation and people's lives, the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center issues a warning to all airlines operating in Saudi airspace as it is unsafe," the statement said, according to Saba.

"The airspace of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be a theater for the operations of our armed forces, and the Republic of Yemen disclaims its responsibility after this announcement," it added.

Reuters, citing Houthi-affiliated media, reported that the body said the kingdom's skies would not be safe for as long as what it called Saudi "aggression" continued. CBS News, citing AFP, said the warning indicated the group could threaten civil aviation over the kingdom.

No immediate public response from Saudi authorities or major airlines had been reported at the time of writing.

Offensive on the ground

The warning follows the launch of Operation "Dawn of Yemen" by the Presidential Leadership Council led by Rashad al-Alimi, which aims to retake Sanaa and other Houthi-held areas.

Yemen's government said its forces had secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb area after advancing along the coast with heavy Saudi air support, according to Reuters. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told the agency that troops had seized key positions in Dhubab, near the strait's narrowest point. The Houthis called claims of major government gains "completely untrue."

Military spokesman Majed al-Nazili said on X: "Our armed forces have begun implementing a strategic offensive operation on Sanaa."

A familiar threat, higher stakes

The Houthis issued a similar warning to airlines in July, after Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport, Reuters reported at the time.

This time it comes as the group claims attacks on Saudi energy sites. The Houthis said on Saturday they had targeted Aramco facilities, including in Khurais. An energy-sector source told AFP that a pumping station on the East-West pipeline was hit, while Reuters and Bloomberg reported that oil was still flowing.

Saudi airspace is a major corridor for flights between Europe, Asia and the Gulf. Any credible threat to it would add to the strain on regional travel and trade already caused by Iran's restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz and fighting around Bab el-Mandeb.