Al-Houthi Vows to Destroy Saudi Airports, Sweden Leading Mediation
Sana’a vowed to attack Saudi civilian airports in response to the Saudi Air Force’s bombing Sana’a International Airport and getting it out of readiness.
Sana’a revealed on Wednesday, its only option to face the repercussions of getting Sana’a Airport out of service. This coincides with the coalition’s announcement of diverting flights bound for Yemen to Saudi airports in a move described as an attempt to tighten the siege on Yemen.
Muhammad al-Houthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council, said that the only solution is to destroy Saudi airports, including civilian ones, in reference to the possibility of launching attacks on civilian airports.
Al-Houthi’s comment came on the eve of coalition’s announcement on the closure of Sana’a International Airport after it was getting out of readiness with intense mid-week raids, as well as his call for international organizations to divert their flights to Saudi airports.
Politically, the Swedish envoy to Yemen intensified, on Wednesday, his meetings with Yemeni and Saudi officials, as part of his country’s attempt to reduce the escalation between the two parties, at the request of Saudi Arabia.
The envoy, Peter Semneby, met a few hours ago with the head of Sana’a negotiating delegation, who is in the Omani capital, Muscat, Muhammad Abdul Salam.
Abdul Salam said in a post on his official page on social media that the meeting was devoted to discuss the humanitarian and political situation in Yemen, and the repeated Saudi attacks on Sana’a International Airport and the path of the Sweden agreement.
Smanbi, who came from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, had met earlier on Tuesday with the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, Muhammad Al Jaber, and discussed with him a comprehensive solution in Yemen.
The official Saudi Press Agency “SPA” reported that the two sides confirmed the support of UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grodenberg, in light of Houthis’ rejection to the Saudi initiative, as well as the international efforts to cease-fire.
It is not yet known whether Semenbei has new proposals for a solution or he is trying to feel the pulse in light of the new changes in Yemen at all levels, but the timing of his meeting indicates to a Saudi desire for calm in light of fears from an escalation, in the wake of causing Sana’a airport to be out of readiness and Sanaa’s threat to respond.