Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes near Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport on Monday in an apparent attempt to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, according to Yemeni government officials.

Saudi authorities did not immediately confirm carrying out the operation or respond to media requests for comment.

Yemen’s Defense Minister Taher al-Aqili said the airport’s runway was targeted to stop an Iranian plane carrying a Houthi delegation returning from Tehran after attending the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Shortly before the strikes, al-Aqili warned that Yemeni authorities would act against any Iranian aircraft entering the country’s airspace without authorization, saying the government would respond to what it described as violations of Yemen’s sovereignty.

According to the Houthi movement, the aircraft altered its route and landed instead at Hodeidah Airport, avoiding Sanaa. There were no immediate reports of damage to Sanaa International Airport or casualties.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree accused Saudi Arabia of ending the period of de-escalation between the two sides and warned that the strikes “would not go unanswered.”

Following the incident, Yemen’s Defense Ministry ordered the evacuation of Sanaa International Airport and nearby areas as a precaution.

Meanwhile, Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said Iran had requested permission for Mahan Air to operate a flight from Tehran to Sanaa to transport the Houthi delegation back to Yemen.

The incident marks another escalation in tensions between Saudi-backed Yemeni authorities and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, despite recent efforts to reduce hostilities after years of conflict.