SANAA, Yemen: An Iran-Yemen air bridge came under scrutiny after a Mahan Air flight landed in Houthi-controlled Yemen, raising fears of renewed pressure near Bab al-Mandab.
The flight landed in Sanaa on July 13, according to a screen grab from Houthi television Al-Masirah, cited by Iran International.
The incident followed a dispute over an Iranian aircraft carrying a Houthi delegation back from the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government accused Iran of trying to enter its airspace without permission.
Yemen’s Saudi-backed government said it struck Sanaa International Airport’s runway to stop a Mahan Air flight from Iran from landing, Aero Time reported.
The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the airport strike and later launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport, the Associated Press reported.
Chatham House fellow Thomas Juneau told Iran International that Iran and the Houthis were trying to force open the Tehran-Sanaa air route. He said the precedent was the key issue.
Read: Houthi Missiles Target Saudi South After Sanaa Airport Row
Iran has long supplied the Houthis through maritime smuggling routes around Oman and the Horn of Africa. A direct air link would offer a faster route for sensitive military components.
Farzin Nadimi, a defence and security analyst at the Washington Institute, told Iran International that Tehran wants to help the Houthis rebuild strategic inventories after years of Red Sea operations and strikes.
The concern extends beyond Yemen. Analysts said a revived Houthi threat near Bab al-Mandab could add pressure to global shipping while the US-Iran confrontation already centres on the Strait of Hormuz.
