Yemen government says attacked Sanaa airport to keep Iranian plane from landing

Yemen's internationally recognized government said it struck Sanaa's airport on Monday following a dispute over an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation, in an attack the rebel group had initially attributed to Saudi Arabia.

"The terrorist Houthi militias -- backed by the Iranian regime -- prevented Yemeni national aircraft from landing at the airport in the capital, Sana'a, while insisting on allowing an Iranian plane to violate Yemeni territory; consequently, the airport runway was targeted," the Yemeni defense ministry said.

The Houthi's al-Masirah TV had previously reported that "Saudi aggression targeted the departure and landing runways at the Sanaa international airport".

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Monday said they would respond to the attack.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of "ending the de-escalation phase and bearing full responsibility for the consequences of its aggression. We affirm that this aggression will not go unanswered or unpunished."

The Iranian plane later landed in Yemen.

Houthi broadcaster al-Masirah quoted the group's transport minister as saying "the Iranian plane has landed on the homeland's soil, carrying a number of medical patients and stranded citizens, accompanied by the official delegation of the Republic of Yemen".

It did not specify where the plane landed.