Yemeni government prevents Iranian plane from landing at Sanaa airport

Yemen’s internationally recognized government said Sunday that it had prevented an Iranian aircraft from completing its flight to Sanaa International Airport, which is under the control of the Houthi group, Anadolu reports.

“No flights will be allowed to operate without obtaining the required authorizations from the internationally recognized government,” Transport Minister Mohsen Al-Amri said in statements carried by the state-run Al-Yemen TV.

He said the decision was taken because the flight “did not go through the approved official channels and procedures,” without providing further details.

There was no immediate comment from the Houthis and Iranian authorities on the report.

The move comes amid heightened tensions in Yemen after the government said on Monday that its forces struck a runway at the Sanaa airport to bar another Iranian aircraft from landing.

In response, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of being behind the attack and launched missile strikes against Saudi territory, breaking years of calm.

READ: Iranian plane lands in Yemen’s Hudaydah after strike on Sanaa airport: Reports