Stranded Yemeni Pilgrims: A New Cause of Tension Between Houthis and Riyadh

The Ansar Allah (Houthi) war of words on Saudi Arabia has intensified over the past few days. This has come after the Houthi group seized four planes owned by Yemenia Airways, leaving over 1300 Yemeni pilgrims stranded in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

A meeting by the Houthi Supreme Political Council yesterday, July 1, 2024, held Saudi Arabia responsible for returning the Yemeni stranded pilgrims home.

The Sanaa-based Saba News Agency quoted a statement by the Houthi Supreme Political Council as saying, “The Saudi regime must bear the responsibility of transporting the rest of the Yemeni pilgrims to Sanaa Airport…not to any other airport.”

Last month, Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government allowed direct flights from Sanaa to Jeddah to facilitate the quick transfer of Yemeni pilgrims. The move also aimed at building trust between the Houthi group and the Yemeni government. However, it was counterproductive.

The authorities in Sanaa seized three planes at Sanaa Airport on June 25; another was seized a month ago. The Transport Ministry in Sanaa accused in a statement Yemenia Airways in Aden of taking “discriminatory and illegal measures at the behest of the Saudi aggression coalition.”

Houthi officials accuse Yemenia Airways of being a “tool in the hands of the Saudis who run the company from behind the curtain.

The Ministry of Endowments and Guidance in the Yemeni government announced that it is working on arranging the travel of the stranded pilgrims to Yemen by land. The Ministry added that the pilgrims who accepted to travel to Aden by plane will be transported to Aden Airport.

Amid the rising tensions between the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and the Houthi group, the latter deployed massive military reinforcements to Al-Jawf province, which borders Saudi Arabia and Marib province, local sources said today.

The sources indicated that the Houthis sent more than 15 four-wheel-drive Toyota military vehicles, carrying 8-10 personnel, most of whom were armed with medium and heavy weapons. This movement of forces is part of the group’s preparation for war against local opponents and foreign forces.