CAIRO/SANAA — Renewed military exchanges involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement are threatening to undermine the truce that has limited major fighting in the country since 2022.
The latest escalation began after a Saudi strike damaged the runway at Sanaa International Airport, preventing an Iranian aircraft carrying senior Houthi representatives from landing. The flight had reportedly not received authorization from the Saudi-led coalition responsible for monitoring Yemeni airspace.
The Houthis and Saudi Arabia subsequently exchanged attacks and threats. UN special envoy Hans Grundberg has been holding discussions with Yemeni factions and regional governments in an effort to prevent the situation from developing into another major war.
The UN envoy warned that Yemen currently faces a greater risk of returning to large-scale conflict than at any point since the UN-backed truce began in April 2022.
Why it matters: Renewed fighting would worsen an already severe humanitarian emergency and could threaten commercial shipping in the Red Sea. It could also draw Yemen further into the wider confrontation involving Iran, Gulf governments and the United States.
