Yemen condemns direct Iranian flight to Houthi-held Sanaa

• Chaired by Rashad al-Alimi, the council said the flight showed Houthi alignment with Iran.
• The PLC urged the UN Security Council to strengthen monitoring of arms smuggling and protect Yemeni airspace.
• Officials said the flight carried more than 200 passengers and later departed with a Houthi delegation bound for Tehran.

Yemen’s internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) issued a sharp condemnation on Friday, characterizing the operation of a direct flight from Iran to Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport as a flagrant breach of Yemeni national sovereignty, international law, and relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The official statement followed an extraordinary emergency session convened by the PLC and chaired by President Rashad al-Alimi.

According to reportage from the state-run Yemen News Agency (Saba), the Council assessed that this direct aviation track represents an escalatory development that exposes the complete alignment of the Houthi group with Tehran's geopolitical architecture.

During the session, the PLC asserted that the Houthi leadership is actively prioritizing the strategic interests of the Iranian regime over the humanitarian welfare of the Yemeni population.

The Council maintained that the unilateral use of state infrastructure and official transit gateways serves to advance proxy networks that undermine the security and internal stability of the republic.

The leadership further noted that the unauthorized flight fits into a broader pattern of Houthi actions aimed at disrupting diplomatic tracks.

The PLC noted that while 'Israel' and various international actors have engaged in efforts to establish a lasting ceasefire, previous initiatives -principally the comprehensive roadmaps backed by Saudi Arabia and international partners- have been consistently stalled by Houthi non-compliance.

"This serious development does not target the Republic of Yemen alone," the Presidential Leadership Council stated. "It represents a direct threat to regional and international security, providing fresh evidence that the Iranian regime continues to violate international law and deploy armed militias as tools for regional destabilization."

Calls for UN intervention

The PLC emphasized that the Yemeni state intends to exercise its full constitutional, political, and diplomatic responsibilities to safeguard its territorial integrity and state institutions.

Concurrently, the Council expressed appreciation for the defense and economic stabilization support provided by Saudi Arabia and wider regional allies.

Concluding its emergency session, the Council warned Tehran against pursuing further escalatory measures, while holding the Houthi movement entirely accountable for any resulting security fallout.

The PLC formally petitioned the United Nations Security Council and its regional partners to enact deterrent mechanisms to halt unauthorized flights.

It specifically requested enhanced tracking over logistics channels used to resource the Houthi movement, and urged international measures to prevent Yemeni territory and airspace from being used to facilitate transnational operations.

The diplomatic friction peaked after Houthi authorities confirmed earlier on Friday that an Iranian passenger plane had landed at Sanaa International Airport.

According to Houthi media accounts, the flight arrived carrying over 200 individuals described as stranded citizens and patients, before taking off for Tehran with a senior Houthi delegation assigned to participate in the funeral processions of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.