Yemenis rally to thank Iran for breaking Sanaa airport siege

A massive crowd of Yemenis gathered at Al-Sabeen Square in Sanaa on Friday evening for a rally expressing gratitude to Iran for breaking the 11-year siege on Sanaa International Airport. The event came after Yemeni air defenses intercepted Saudi warplanes that attempted to block an Iranian civilian flight carrying over 200 sick and wounded passengers.

The rally, held in support of the Yemeni armed forces and their recent declaration on breaking the siege, saw participants chanting slogans affirming solidarity with Gaza and Palestine and expressing readiness to follow the directives of Ansarullah leader Sayed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi. The crowds thanked Iran for its humanitarian initiative in facilitating the transfer of patients, wounded individuals, and stranded civilians, reaffirming Islamic brotherhood within the axis of jihad and resistance, according to Press TV.

Yemen's Deputy Foreign Minister Abdulwahid Abu Ras commented, "Today, Yemen's skies witnessed two contrasting scenes. The first was a civilian aircraft carrying patients, wounded people, humanitarian cases, and official delegations. The second was warplanes carrying bombs and missiles to kill Yemenis and destroy infrastructure." He added that the event demonstrated Yemen's "steadfastness, resilience, military capability, and high combat readiness, marking the beginning of a new phase of reclaiming rights."

The rally occurred hours after Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that at 5:20 AM on Friday, a formation of Saudi coalition warplanes violated Yemeni airspace in an attempt to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport. According to Mehr News Agency, the Iranian plane successfully landed, breaking the prolonged siege.