Exclusive: Houthis Launch Coordinated Missile and Drone Attack Following Sanaa Airport Strike and Iranian Flight Crisis
The Houthis launched a coordinated wave of ballistic missile and drone attacks toward Saudi Arabia on Sunday, moving from public threats to military action after the escalating confrontation over Sanaa International Airport and Iranian flights into Houthi-controlled territory, according to information obtained by Sheba Intelligence.
Saudi-led Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki confirmed that coalition air defenses intercepted ballistic missile threats launched by the Houthi militia toward the Kingdom’s Southern Region.
According to Sheba Intelligence sources, the operation involved multiple launch sites across northern Yemen. Attack drones were launched from Baqim District in Saada Province, while another projectile was fired from Al-Hazm District in Al-Jawf Province. A long-range ballistic missile was subsequently launched from the Al-Amshiyah area in Harf Sufyan District, Amran Province, indicating a coordinated operation involving several missile and drone units.
The launches came shortly after senior Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam warned Saudi Arabia against interfering with Iranian flights to Houthi-controlled areas. Within hours, those warnings were followed by missile and drone attacks, suggesting a deliberate decision to reinforce political messaging with military escalation.
The attack also followed the strike on Sanaa International Airport, where Yemeni government forces sought to prevent what officials described as the use of civilian aviation to facilitate Iranian logistical support for the Houthis. An Iranian aircraft later diverted and landed at Hodeidah Airport, highlighting the group’s determination to preserve an aerial supply route despite mounting pressure on maritime smuggling networks.
The sequence of events aligns with Sheba Intelligence’s recent assessments that Iran and the Houthis are increasingly relying on an air bridge as traditional maritime smuggling routes become more vulnerable to interdiction. Earlier intelligence obtained by Sheba indicated that Houthi arms procurement officials had begun reorganizing their smuggling networks after repeated maritime seizures disrupted shipments of weapons and drone components destined for Houthi-controlled territory.
The latest missile and drone launches therefore appear to be more than an isolated military response. They represent a broader effort to protect Iran’s emerging air logistics corridor into Yemen while signaling that attempts to restrict those flights could trigger wider regional escalation.
For Sheba Intelligence, the incident marks another indication that the contest over Yemen’s airspace is becoming a central element of the conflict, as Tehran and the Houthis seek to compensate for increasing constraints on their maritime supply lines through an expanded aerial logistics network.
