Houthi Official Warns Saudi Arabia of Retaliatory 'Siege' After Airport Strike.

A senior Houthi official has threatened to impose a "siege" on Saudi Arabia following an attack on Sanaa International Airport, warning that the group will retaliate if it believes Riyadh is behind future military actions.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, said the airport attack gave the Houthis the right to target Saudi airports in response. The Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it was intended to stop an Iranian aircraft from landing in Houthi-controlled Sanaa, while the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia.

The attack targeted the airport runway as an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation from Tehran approached Sanaa. The aircraft was diverted to Hodeidah, another city under Houthi control. The delegation had reportedly attended the funeral of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.

In retaliation, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport. Saudi authorities said the missiles were intercepted before reaching their target.

Houthi officials declared that the airport strike had ended the recent period of de-escalation in Yemen's conflict, raising fears that the country could slide back into full-scale war after several years of relative calm.

The group also vowed to continue flights between Tehran and Sanaa and warned that Saudi airports could face further attacks if those routes are disrupted.

Meanwhile, the escalating tensions have sparked concerns over the security of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime route linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Al-Bukhaiti said the Houthis could use control of the waterway as leverage against countries involved in military actions against Yemen, while insisting that neutral nations would not be targeted.

Security analysts warn that any disruption in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, combined with tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, could significantly affect global shipping and energy supplies.

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