The developments come as Yemen’s retaliatory air blockade against Saudi Arabia enters its second week, with Arab media outlets reporting a sharp decline in civilian air traffic across the kingdom following a heavy attack on King Khalid International Airport on Saturday night that reportedly forced the facility to close again.
According to Arab sources, flight-tracking websites showed that much of Saudi Arabia’s airspace was empty, while Flightradar24 reported that only one or two of the kingdom’s 29 civilian airports remained operational.
The reports characterized the disruption as a significant development in Yemen’s strategy against Saudi Arabia, although the extent of the reported airspace shutdown and the operational status of individual airports could not be independently verified.
The latest developments followed reports of a Yemeni missile attack targeting an airport in the Saudi city of Dammam on Saturday night, while The New York Times also reported a major blow to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Against this backdrop, Yemen’s armed forces reiterated their warning that Saudi airports and airspace, with the exception of those serving Mecca and Medina, were considered operational areas subject to attack.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen’s armed forces, issued a statement on Sunday urging airlines, aviation experts, airport employees and passengers to take the warning seriously and refrain from using the designated airports and airspace.
Saree said the Saudi government would bear responsibility for any “failed interception,” according to the statement.
Yemen’s armed forces also reaffirmed their determination to maintain the established equation of “airport for airport, blockade for blockade, and escalation for escalation” until their objectives were achieved.
As the confrontation continued, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia had approached China to seek mediation between Riyadh and Sana’a, potentially opening a diplomatic channel amid escalating military pressure.
According to the Yemeni news website Al-Bawaba Al-Ikhbariya Al-Yemeniya, informed sources said Riyadh had formally asked Beijing to mediate a ceasefire with Yemen.
The sources said Saudi Arabia had informed China that it was prepared to agree to a ceasefire involving a halt to military operations, including airstrikes.
However, the sources said the Sana’a authorities had maintained their existing position, insisting that Riyadh fulfill its previous commitments under the peace roadmap before any ceasefire could be announced.