The Yemeni government strongly protests Iran Airlines' direct flight to Houthi-controlled areas, questioning its shipment of military supplies.

Yemen has issued a strong protest against Iran! On July 13, according to foreign media reports, Yemen's Minister of Defense stated that the government has exhausted all diplomatic efforts to urge Iran and the Houthi forces to reconsider their actions and cease violating Yemeni airspace. We have repeatedly urged both sides to stop these violations. Our patience has now run out. We will respond appropriately to these incursions.

We hold Iran fully responsible under both legal and moral grounds for any violation of Yemeni airspace. Why is Yemen making such a serious protest against Iran this time? The fundamental reason lies in the fact that on July 3, an Iranian Mahan Air passenger flight directly flew over Yemeni airspace and landed at Sana'a International Airport, which is controlled by the Houthi rebels. The flight route ran directly from Tehran, Iran, to Sana'a—without passing through internationally recognized approval routes or obtaining official entry permits from Yemen’s central government.

The Yemeni government views this as a blatant violation of national territorial sovereignty, suspecting that Iran used this flight to transport Iranian military experts, missile components, and armed personnel to continuously strengthen the Houthi forces. From Yemen’s perspective, the Houthi militia’s unilateral establishment of a direct flight route from Iran to Sana’a effectively created an air corridor independent of the central government within Yemen, forming a “state within a state,” thereby completely undermining the Yemeni government’s authority over its own airspace. In response, the Yemeni Armed Forces attacked the airport runway as a form of protest.

Naturally, from Iran’s standpoint, Iran does not recognize the Yemeni government but instead recognizes the Houthi rebels as a fully established partner. Currently, the war between the Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels has not been fully ended. While the Yemeni government controls about 75% of the country’s territory, the Houthis control the northern capital Sana’a, Red Sea coastal ports, and approximately 70%–80% of the population. Both sides aim to achieve full unification of the country. Therefore, facing Yemen’s protest, Iran naturally pays no attention.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870605191539722/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.