Ankara: An Iranian aircraft landed Monday at Al Hudaydah Airport in western Yemen, shortly after Yemeni forces bombed a runway at Houthi-controlled Sanaa International Airport to prevent the plane from landing there, according to Iranian media.

According to Anadolu Agency, the aircraft was redirected to Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea coast after the runway at Sanaa airport was targeted earlier in the day. The move came amid heightened tensions in the region, as Yemeni forces sought to prevent further landings at the contested airport.

Yemen's Defense Ministry stated on Monday that its forces acted against the Sanaa airport runway because the Houthis were preventing Yemeni flights from landing and allowing an Iranian plane to enter 'in violation of the Yemeni territory.'

In response to the incident, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared that the strike 'will not pass without retaliation and punishment,' signaling potential escalation in the ongoing conflict.