Yemeni minister: Houthi flight ban aims to justify escalation

Yemeni Minister of Information Moammar Al-Eryani said the Houthi militia is attempting to portray what it calls a “blockade” as an independent decision imposed by local developments or as a response to an alleged siege, stressing that the facts indicate otherwise.

Al-Eryani explained that the group’s announcement was merely the implementation of an Iranian decision taken as part of a broader escalation, arguing that Iran seeks to transfer tensions to the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, similar to what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz, in order to threaten international maritime routes.

The minister added that Iran is trying, through these moves, to create new pressure points against the international community and to expand the conflict in line with its own strategic interests, rather than those of Yemen and its people.

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Al-Eryani noted that the Houthi militia deliberately rejected all proposed alternatives to resume civilian flights, saying this confirms that their aim was not to resolve the air transport crisis, but to create a pretext for escalation under a local cover.

He stressed that the Houthi announcement is not related to the Yemeni situation or relations with Saudi Arabia, but is instead the execution of an Iranian directive.

Al-Eryani concluded by saying that the Houthis’ announcement once again turns Yemen into a platform serving Iran’s agenda and drags the country into conflicts beyond its borders and the interests of its people.