Yemen Government Blocks Iranian Plane from Landing in Sana'a

The Yemeni government's decision to block an Iranian passenger plane from landing at Sana'a International Airport has escalated the tension over Iranian flights in recent weeks. The Yemeni government announced that it had stopped the Mahan Air plane from landing in Sana'a due to the lack of necessary official permits. Transportation Minister Muhsin al-Omari stated that the plane was not allowed to land because it did not obtain the required permissions through official channels. There has been no comment from Iranian officials or the Houthis on the matter. The Yemeni government had also blocked another Iranian plane from landing at Sana'a airport about a week ago. The crisis over Iranian flights has increased tensions between the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthis. Last week, the Yemeni government targeted the airport runway to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, and the Iranian plane changed its route and landed at Hodeida airport instead. Following this development, there were reciprocal harsh statements between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, while the Houthis declared a general mobilization, and the Yemeni Presidential Council indicated that the military option was on the table. The fragile ceasefire in Yemen, which has been largely maintained for about 4 years, is being severely tested again due to the tension caused by Iranian flights. The Yemeni government's decision is said to have further increased the tension in the region.