Regional tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran appeared to escalate again on Friday after Yemen's armed forces claimed Saudi military aircraft attempted to prevent an Iranian civilian plane from landing at Sanaa International Airport, raising fears of a renewed confrontation along the Saudi-Iran axis.
According to Al Manar, the Yemeni Armed Forces said a formation of Saudi warplanes entered the airspace over several Yemeni provinces at approximately 5:20 a.m. local time in an attempt to stop an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
The Yemeni military said the aircraft was carrying more than 200 passengers, including stranded Yemeni citizens, wounded individuals and patients returning to the country.
The statement further claimed that Saudi Arabia's attempt to prevent the landing "failed" after Yemeni armed forces intervened, allowing the aircraft to land safely. No independent confirmation of the incident was immediately available, and Saudi authorities had not commented on the allegations at the time of publication.
If confirmed, the incident would mark one of the most direct reported confrontations involving Saudi military aircraft and an Iranian civilian flight in recent years, underscoring the fragility of regional de-escalation efforts despite recent diplomatic engagement between Riyadh and Tehran. The Yemen conflict has long served as a key arena in the broader rivalry between the two regional powers.