Saudi crown prince received backing from Trump for perilous strikes on Yemen: Report

Two American officials have disclosed that US President Donald Trump offered his endorsement to Saudi Crown Prince and de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) for a rare and unconventional military offensive against Yemen.

The officials told Axios that Trump gave the Saudi crown prince his backing for the attack on the runway at Sana’a airport on Monday to prevent the landing of an Iranian aircraft carrying a delegation of Ansarullah officials returning from Iran.

The Yemeni military later said that they carried out a retaliatory military operation targeting Abha International Airport with ballistic missiles and drones in southern Saudi Arabia.

Spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, warned all airlines against flying over Saudi airspace, urging them to take the warning seriously until the blockade on Sana’a International ‌Airport is lifted.

The Saudi strike on the Sana’a airport marked the most serious cross-border aggression against Yemen since 2022. It could signal the collapse of a four-year, unofficial truce between Saudi Arabia and the Sana’a-based Yemeni government.

Yemen warns Saudi strike on Sana’a airport marks end of truce

Yemen’s Foreign Ministry wanrs that Saudi Arabia will find itself in a major strategic deadlock and will bear heavy costs for its aggression.

Experts have warned that the tensions could unleash a fresh wave of Saudi-led aggression against Yemen.

Iran rejects US allegation of military equipment transfer to Yemen

Meanwhile, Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations dismissed US allegations that Tehran transferred military equipment to Yemen, describing the claims as “entirely baseless and fabricated.”

It condemned Washington for attempting to mislead the UN Security Council and divert international attention from its atrocities against Iran.

In a statement released following Monday’s UN Security Council meeting, the diplomatic mission said the Ansarullah movement represents a significant portion of the Yemeni people, and that Iran recognizes the authorities in Sana’a as the country’s legitimate representatives.

The statement added that Iran’s engagement with the Sana’a authorities is conducted in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions and is aimed at supporting a Yemeni-led political process to achieve a unified Yemen while preserving the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity.

It also noted that the United Nations has repeatedly benefited from these interactions in advancing the peace process in Yemen.

The Iranian mission also dismissed a US claim made during the Security Council session that Iran had used the visit of a Yemeni delegation attending the farewell and funeral ceremonies of martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei to transfer weapons.

The statement characterized the allegation as “completely unfounded,” noting it was fabricated to mislead the Security Council and distract international attention from “the horrific crimes committed by the United States against the Iranian people.”

Bukhaiti: Yemen would strike targets deep inside Saudi Arabia

Mohammad al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarullah’s political bureau, said Saudi Arabia should have taken the initiative to end its aggression and blockade on Yemen, but instead opted to bombard Sana’a International Airport.

He warned that Yemeni armed forces would hit Saudi airports and vital assets should Riyadh violate Yemen’s airspace or attempt to attack the country again.

Bukhaiti emphasized that Saudi Arabia had failed to honor or implement the agreement reached with the Sana’a government in 2022.

The top Ansarullah figure added that the Saudi government should stop meddling in Yemen’s affairs.

Bukhaiti stated that Saudi Arabia and aggressor countries had sought to persuade certain parties to secede, adding that the Riyadh regime had realized that any attempt to harm Yemen would be met with a united and forceful response from the Arab nation.

The Ansarullah member stated that Saudi Arabia’s aggression on Sana’a airport endangered civilians, calling on Riyadh to end the blockade.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk