Yemeni military warns of Iranian-made Houthi weapons targeting international air routes

Yemen's armed forces have warned of a threat posed by the Houthi militia to civil aviation over the southern Red Sea, after detecting the use of Iranian-made air defense weapons that have been upgraded with new technologies and tactics. The military said these weapons are targeting international air routes, potentially endangering civilian aircraft and passengers.

Yemeni Armed Forces spokesperson Colonel Majid Abdullah Al-Nazili stated that the military recently observed the Houthi militia using Iranian-made air defense weapons, which have been converted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard experts into cruise missiles launched from Hodeidah province toward international air routes over the southern Red Sea.

Al-Nazili explained that these missiles can loiter for up to 20 minutes each and operate with heat-seeking technology, attacking any heat source without distinguishing between military and civilian targets, according to his statement.

He noted that, according to the Yemeni armed forces' assessment, the nature of these weapons represents a direct threat to the safety of civil aviation and the lives of travelers, including United Nations and humanitarian relief flights that use these air routes in Yemen and the region.

This warning, Al-Nazili said, coincided with threats made by Iranian officials, including Mohammad Mokhber, advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, and Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, to target and disrupt aviation services in the region following sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines.

The Yemeni military spokesperson said that what he described as a threat to the airspace over the southern Red Sea goes beyond the safety of Yemen's airspace and affects international airspace safety, stressing that the use of such weapons from Yemeni territory cannot be treated as a local issue.

Al-Nazili emphasized that threats to international air routes require a responsible stance and action from relevant authorities, foremost among them the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Air Transport Association.