The aerial bridge between Tehran and Sana'a is sparking fresh tensions on the ground as Iranian flights to and from war-torn Yemen are being seen by Yemen's Vice-President Abdullah al-Alimi as a brazen affront to his nation's sovereignty. Speaking candidly in an exclusive interview, al-Alimi asserted that these planes were ferrying equipment for the Iran-aligned Houthi movement – now regarded as a significant regional and international threat due to its menacing presence on the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Al-Alimi's scathing comments come amid escalating violence in Yemen. In response to Iran's attempt to fly a plane carrying Houthi officials back from the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, government forces – backed by Saudi Arabia – targeted the Houthi-controlled Sana'a airport. The move was met with retaliation as the Houthis fired missiles towards Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, effectively ending a four-year truce between the warring parties.
The heightened tensions prompted an emergency UN Security Council meeting, where world leaders urged both sides to stand down. Yemen has been embroiled in a protracted civil war since 2015, when Houthi forces overran Sana'a, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate to Aden in the south with Saudi backing.
Al-Alimi, a veteran figure in Yemeni politics and key member of the government, maintains that the Houthis are currently weakened due to a perceived decline in Iranian support. He further alleged that Tehran was exploiting the funeral as an opportunity to smuggle military equipment and experts into the country, under the guise of humanitarian aid.
The Vice-President also highlighted the crippling economic burden imposed by Houthi attacks on oil export facilities, which has left his government struggling to pay civil servants' salaries. He acknowledged that without Saudi support, the government would have been unable to meet these obligations. The ongoing instability surrounding oil exports has stymied international investment, underscoring the dire need for security in Yemen.
The conflict has sparked one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, and recent shifts in internal power dynamics – including a reported re-emergence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) – have added to the complexity of the situation. The fragile balance of power in Yemen is being further tested by Iran's persistent backing of the Houthi movement, fuelling concerns among regional powers about the implications for global security and trade routes.