Houthis Attack Aden Airport In Yemen

A Saudi-backed counter-offensive near the Red Sea strait escalates the 12-year Yemen war, displacing 200,000 people and prompting Turkey to send defensive support to Saudi Arabia.

Yemen’s internationally recognized government reported on Wednesday that Iran-aligned Houthi forces attacked Aden’s international airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones. The attack occurred as intense fighting flared near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping artery that has become increasingly critical for global energy exports amid restricted trade through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Attack on Aden and Regional Spillover

According to the country’s Transport Ministry, a Houthi missile landed near the runway at Aden International Airport just minutes before a commercial flight from Cairo was scheduled to land. Authorities successfully diverted the incoming aircraft to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and moved planes off the tarmac due to fears of further strikes. Aden serves as the primary international air gateway for the government-controlled areas of the war-torn nation.

The escalation has not been contained to Yemen. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed his forces targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with drones, as well as Abha International Airport and an airbase in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting and destroying at least two Houthi ballistic missiles aimed at Saudi territory, tracking the launch platforms back to Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

Battles for the Red Sea Coast

The airport strikes coincide with a fierce, Saudi-backed Yemeni government counter-offensive aimed at retaking strategic territory from the Houthis near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. With Saudi-led coalition air support, pro-government forces—including the powerful Giants Brigade—are battling for control of the Dhubab district and coastal plains leading up to Taiz. Earlier claims by the government that forces had reached the town of Mocha have been characterized by military officials and analysts as premature. The Houthis claim to have successfully repelled the counter-offensive.

Global Backing and Humanitarian Crisis

The renewed fighting is a deadly spillover from broader US-Iran regional tensions, reviving a fragmented 12-year civil war that had been largely dormant following a UN-brokered truce in 2022. Saudi Arabia is now seeking broader international assistance to repel the Houthis. In a significant geopolitical shift, Turkey is reportedly sending defensive and technical support to the Kingdom following a newly formed collective defense commitment between Turkey and Pakistan.

The human toll of the renewed offensive has been devastating. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that the number of displaced people since the latest round of fighting began has surpassed 200,000. IOM Director General Amy Pope warned that displaced citizens are “running for their lives and finding nowhere safe to go.” With both sides alleging hundreds of casualties, the UN warns that the broader war has already left three out of four families going hungry in parts of Yemen.