Houthi Official Threatens 'Siege' on Saudi Arabia, Warns Airlines Off Airspace

A day after striking Abha Airport, Houthi political bureau member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Al Jazeera the group would 'impose on them a siege just as they have done to us,' warning that all options regarding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remain on the table. He framed the Abha strike as justified reciprocation for the Saudi-backed strike on Sanaa airport, and the Houthis warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace pending an end to what they termed the Saudi 'siege' of Sanaa. The rhetoric marks the sharpest Houthi-Saudi escalation since the 2022 truce.