The Yemeni Armed Forces’ statement opens a new phase in confronting the Saudi blockade.
In light of recent developments, the statement by the Yemeni Armed Forces appears as a new link in the chain of ongoing confrontation with the Saudi aggression since March 26, 2015, as the matter is no longer limited to aggression and the blockade imposed on the ports and airports of the Republic of Yemen, but has become embodied in direct attempts to obstruct civilian flights carrying patients and stranded people.
The incident that occurred at dawn today, when formations of the Saudi enemy’s warplanes tried to prevent an Iranian civilian plane from landing, reveals the nature of the aggression that, from the beginning, has gone beyond the limits of traditional warfare to affect the lives of civilians and their right to movement and treatment.
The military statement clearly indicated that the Yemeni armed forces confronted the Saudi aircraft with air defense missiles and forced them to leave the airspace, stressing that any repetition of such violations will be met with a comprehensive response targeting airports and vital interests deep inside Saudi Arabia.
This escalating language is not new, but this time it comes in a different context, as it coincides with the call of the leader of the revolution, Mr. Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, to seize sovereignty and break the siege, and with a broad response from official institutions and Yemeni tribes who announced the delegation of leadership and readiness through armed tribal activities and events, which reflects a general mobilization that goes beyond the military character to the popular and social dimension.
Since the blockade of Sana’a airport began, depriving Yemenis of travel and medical treatment has been one of the most prominent aspects of human suffering, and the airport has become a symbol of violated sovereignty.
Today, with the Iranian plane successfully landing despite attempts to prevent it, it appeared that there was a partial breach of the siege wall, which the armed forces appreciated in their statement with clear praise for the position of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which took the initiative to transport the sick, the stranded, and the official delegation participating in the funeral of Mr. Ali Khamenei.
This Iranian position acquires a political significance that goes beyond the humanitarian dimension, as it places Tehran in direct confrontation with Saudi and American policies towards Yemen.
The military statement did not merely issue a warning, but also emphasized the continuation of flights between Sana’a and Tehran, regardless of the consequences and repercussions. This is a practical declaration of defiance against the blockade and the imposition of a new reality on the ground.
In contrast, this escalation puts Saudi Arabia in front of a difficult equation: either to continue the policy of prevention and direct confrontation with Yemeni defenses, or to accept a gradual decline in its ability to control Yemeni airspace.
The strategic dimensions of these developments are evident on three levels: the first is military, where the Yemeni armed forces have proven their ability to protect the airspace and confront Saudi aircraft; the second is political, where the discourse of sovereignty and popular rejection of guardianship is strengthened; and the third is social, where the state of popular and tribal mandate for the leadership is manifested in the face of the siege.
These levels combined reflect the Yemenis’ transition to a phase of imposing their will, which makes the next phase likely to see more confrontations deep inside Saudi Arabia, especially with the armed forces confirming that their hand is on the trigger to implement directives within the framework of breaking the siege and expelling the occupiers.
What happened today cannot be read as an isolated incident, but rather it is part of a long process that began on the night of March 26, 2015, when airports and ports were turned into tools of siege, and Yemeni military operations were turned into strategic messages deep inside Saudi Arabia.
With the leadership’s call for general mobilization and the response of the tribes and institutions, it appears that Yemen is entering a new phase whose title is breaking the siege by force, and imposing sovereignty as an irreversible option.
September 26