Houthis threaten ‘aerial blockade’ on Israel after missile strike on Ben-Gurion Airport

Virtually all international airlines have moved to cancel their flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday or even later.

By JNS

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi terrorists threatened on Sunday to impose a “comprehensive aerial blockade” on Israel by continuing to target the country’s international airports, according to Arabic media reports.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree in a statement called on all airlines to “take into consideration the contents of this statement from the moment of its announcement and published, and to cancel all scheduled flights” to the Jewish state, the reports said.

Saree’s remarks came hours after a ballistic missile from Yemen lightly to moderately wounded six people and caused significant disruptions to takeoffs and arrivals at Ben-Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.

Sunday’s aerial assault marked the latest escalation by the Houthi terror group, which has launched a series of long-range ballistic missiles and drones at the Jewish state in recent months, targeting ports, military installations, and now the country’s main international airport.

In the wake of the Houthi strike, the airport halted takeoffs and landings for around 30 minutes, forcing at least three inbound aircraft to remain airborne.

While airport officials have since announced the resumption of activity, significant delays occurred throughout the day on Sunday.

In addition, virtually all international airlines moved to cancel their flights to Tel Aviv until Tuesday, or even later. Airlines have requested clarification and are expressing concerns about flying to Tel Aviv.

Israeli Minister of Transport, National Infrastructure and Road Safety Miri Regev said on Sunday night that her office was working with the airlines and government bodies to restart flights to the airport.

At the same time, Jerusalem’s Security Cabinet voted to respond to the attack. Ministers decided that any attack on the Houthis or their Iranian sponsors would be coordinated with the United States, which is currently conducting a military campaign in Yemen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday night echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that the missile assaults by the Houthis are directed by Iran, vowing a forceful response not only to the latest strike, but also to those orchestrating the attacks from Tehran.

“President Trump is absolutely right. The Houthi attacks emanate from Iran,” Netanyahu posted on his official X account. “Israel will respond to the attack on Ben-Gurion Airport—and, at a time and place of our choosing, to their Iranian terror masters as well.”

In a March post on his Truth Social platform, Trump had warned Tehran over its ties to the Houthis, stating: “Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN.”

He added: “Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”