Yemen bans Iranian aircraft from entering its airspace

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council has announced that Iranian aircraft will no longer be permitted to enter the country's airspace, as authorities unveiled a series of measures in response to escalating tensions with the Houthis and Tehran.

Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Rashad Mohammed al-Alimi made the announcement during a meeting of the National Defence Council, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

"We tell the Yemeni people that, starting today, no Iranian aircraft will ever return to our land," al-Alimi said.

The council approved a package of military, political and diplomatic measures aimed at protecting Yemen's sovereignty, while placing responsibility for the latest escalation on the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) and Iran.

The meeting also concluded that receiving flights at Sana'a International Airport outside legally established procedures constitutes a violation of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The announcement follows a series of military exchanges. On July 13, Yemen's Ministry of Defence said it had struck the runway at Sana'a International Airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.

The Houthis responded by declaring an end to the de-escalation phase and launching ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport. The Saudi-led coalition later reported intercepting the missiles over the kingdom's southern regions.

By Aghakazim Guliyev