Yemen Monitor/Moscow/Exclusive:
Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi stated that the Houthi group threatened to bomb Aden International Airport if the last Yemenia Airways plane was not returned from Amman to Sana’a Airport. This occurred before the plane was targeted and destroyed by Israeli airstrikes on Wednesday.
In an interview with Russia Today TV, Al-Alimi said his government had been trying to bring the Yemenia Airways plane back from Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, the Jordanian capital, after an earlier Israeli attack that destroyed seven aircraft at Sana’a International Airport, including three belonging to Yemenia.
Al-Alimi added that “the Houthis informed them through mediators that if the plane was not returned, they would strike Aden Airport, and possibly other airports in Hadramout and Mocha.”
الرئيس اليمني: اضطررنا لإعادة طائرة اليمنية إلى مطار صنعاء بعد تهديد الحوثيين pic.twitter.com/IqgexLihyI
— يمن مونيتور (@YeMonitor) May 29, 2025
The head of the Presidential Leadership Council stated: “Therefore, we allowed the plane to return to Sana’a Airport to spare the country further destruction.”
The Houthis had earlier this month announced the airport’s return to operation following the Israeli airstrikes, and the resumption of flights between Sana’a and Amman. However, on Wednesday, the airstrikes destroyed the last plane, and flights were suspended indefinitely.
