Recent developments in Yemen could reignite conflict as unilateral action deepens divisions in the country, a senior UN official warned on Monday.
Khaled Khiari, a UN assistant secretary general, told the Security Council that the incidents were a "stark reminder" that the country's political process must be fully owned by Yemenis.
“Unilateral measures will not bring Yemen closer to peace. On the contrary, they risk entrenching divisions, accelerating fragmentation and heightening the danger of renewed escalation and military confrontation,” Mr Khiari said.
Tension has risen in recent days after an Iranian aircraft reportedly flew from Tehran to Sanaa on July 3 carrying, among others, a delegation of Houthi rebels to attend the funeral of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Yemen's internationally recognised government accused Iran of breaching its sovereignty and airspace, and warned against unauthorised flights.
On Monday, another Iranian aircraft carrying the returning Houthi delegation reportedly landed in Hodeidah after reported air strikes hit Sanaa International Airport.
The Houthis blamed the strikes on Saudi Arabia, while Yemen's government said the runway had been attacked to prevent the Iranian plane from landing.
The Iran-backed group then declared an end to the de-escalation phase with Saudi Arabia and launched ballistic missiles at the kingdom, which Saudi authorities said were intercepted.
The latest violence threatens to undermine a truce that has largely held since 2022, despite formally expiring, and comes amid increased regional tension, as the US and Iran exchange strikes affecting Gulf states and shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US told the Security Council that Washington has repeatedly called out “this long-running record of violations for nearly a decade".
"With Iranian assistance, the Houthis have steadily demonstrated increasing military sophistication, including through frequent cross-border drone and missile attacks and reported use of cluster munitions," said Tammy Bruce, US deputy ambassador to the UN.
“That mounting capability is in itself evidence that the Houthis have received external support in violation of the targeted arms embargo. The Islamic republic of Iran's wilful disregard for the sovereignty of Yemen and the collective decisions of this council is simply unacceptable.”
Ms Bruce accused Iran of breaching the interim agreement with Washington by continuing to put regional security and maritime traffic at risk.
“These attacks are … a deliberate provocation that contradicts the diplomatic progress forged between the United States and Iran,” she said.
She warned that Washington would continue to respond to any attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz: “Simply put, if Iran shoots at ships, we will immediately respond with force."
Bahrain's ambassador t the UN, Jamal Alrowaiei, warned that any support given to the Houthis is a threat to peace and security in Yemen and the region.
He accused Iran of fuelling regional tension through continued attacks against Gulf Co-operation Council states and Jordan, and by keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed to maritime traffic, which he said violates the UN Charter and international law.
Mr Alrowaiei added that threats from the Houthis have increased to include warnings to close the Bab Al Mandeb strait, and he called such acts “a blatant violation” of UN Security Council resolutions.
Yemen's UN ambassador, Abdullah Al Saadi, accused Iran of breaching Yemen's sovereignty by operating an unauthorised flight to Sanaa airport, which is controlled by the Houthis.
“This cannot be viewed as a humanitarian measure,” Mr Al Saadi told the Security Council. “Rather, it represents a grave violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen” and of UN sanctions measures imposed on the Houthis.
He said the Yemeni government had information indicating the flight “was not purely civilian in nature” and said it carried personnel, military expertise and dual-use equipment.
Mr Al Saadi also said Mahan Air had been linked with providing logistical support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had been placed under sanctions by some countries over alleged transport of personnel and military equipment to conflict zones.
The Houthis, with the support of of Iran, proceeded to operate a second unauthorised flight to Sanaa's airport, Mr Al Saadi added.
He said Yemen's armed forces had taken “the necessary defensive measures” to protect the country's airspace but that the government had decided against widening the confrontation after military, security and political assessments.
