Shaul Shay
(Senior research fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya and former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council)
Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 19 July 2026
Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies
On July 13, 2026, the departure and landing runways at the Houthi-controlled Sana'a International Airport were targeted in an airstrike. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack on the Houthi-held airport, saying it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.[ Yemen says it struck Sanaa airport to stop Iranian plane from landing, Al Arabiya, July 13, 2026.] Houthi-controlled areas were last targeted by the Saudi-led coalition before a UN-brokered truce to cease hostilities came into effect in 2022.[ In major escalation, Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, the times of Israel, July 14, 2026.
Following the strikes, the internationally recognized Yemeni government ordered all airports across the country shut down until further notice.[ Yemen government says attacked Sanaa airport to keep Iranian plane from landing, Ahram online, July 13, 2026.... Read more