Yemeni army warns Houthi weapons endanger civilian flights over Red Sea

Yemen's military spokesman Majid al-Nazili said on Saturday that weapons held by the Houthi group pose a direct threat to civilian aircraft flying over the southern Red Sea, according to Anadolu Agency.

Al-Nazili said the Houthis have converted Iranian air-defence systems into cruise missiles and are launching them from Hodeidah province towards international flight corridors. He said the weapons "could remain airborne for up to 25 minutes" and use heat-seeking guidance that cannot distinguish between military and civilian aircraft.

He called the development a major escalation that endangers commercial flights, United Nations operations and humanitarian missions in Yemen and across the wider region. He also noted that senior Iranian officials had previously threatened to disrupt regional aviation after sanctions were imposed on Iranian airlines.

The spokesman urged the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to act. Neither the Houthis nor Iranian officials responded to the allegations.

The warning comes amid renewed fighting in Yemen. The Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015. Hostilities flared again in July after the group announced a maritime blockade targeting Riyadh. The Houthis have since claimed territorial gains along the Red Sea coast and near the Bab el-Mandab Strait, and have targeted Saudi oil infrastructure.

The southern Red Sea and Bab el-Mandab form one of the world's busiest maritime corridors, linking the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal. The airspace above them carries flights connecting the Gulf with East Africa, Egypt and Europe. Any threat to civil aviation there is a concern for Gulf carriers and for the humanitarian and UN flights that serve Yemen.