This Saudi Iran Strike Might Be The Stupidest Move They’ve Ever Made

Right, so Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have struck the runway at Sanaa International Airport because they wanted to stop an Iranian aircraft landing there.That was the official justification.The internationally recognised Yemeni government said the flight had entered Yemeni airspace without its permission, that Ansarallah, the Houthis were trying to establish direct Iranian flights into territory they control, and that this was a violation of Yemeni sovereignty.So they bombed the runway.Very decisive.Very muscular.Very “we are absolutely in charge here”, provided you ignore the awkward detail that Sanaa itself is not actually under their control and the aircraft had already crossed into Yemen before anybody started congratulating themselves.The plane was a Mahan Air aircraft coming from Iran, reportedly carrying an Ansarallah delegation back into Yemen. The Saudi-backed government wanted it stopped from landing at Sanaa. That was the point of the strike. Not to send a vague warning. Not to make the arrivals board look untidy. To stop that aircraft entering through a Houthi-controlled airport.And yes, they did stop it landing at Sanaa.For about five minutes, that probably looked rather clever.Then the pilot diverted roughly 150 kilometres down the coast and landed at Hodeidah instead.The plane arrived.The passengers got off.The delegation entered Yemen, back in Houthi controlled territory.So the grand operation to stop the Iranian flight had managed to change the airport code.That was it.