Yemen military warns Houthi weapons threaten civilian flights over Red Sea

ADEN — Yemen’s military warned Saturday that weapons being used by the Houthis pose a threat to civilian aircraft and international flight routes over the southern Red Sea.Military spokesman Majid Al-Nazili said the Houthis had converted Iranian air-defense weapons into cruise missiles that are being launched from the western province of Hodeidah toward international air corridors.Al-Nazili said the missiles could remain airborne for up to 25 minutes and use heat-seeking guidance, leaving them unable to distinguish between military and civilian targets.He said the weapons could endanger commercial aircraft as well as UN and humanitarian flights operating in Yemen and the wider region.Al-Nazili described the use of such weapons as a serious escalation extending beyond Yemeni airspace and threatening international aviation routes.The spokesman also linked the development to recent threats by senior Iranian officials to disrupt aviation services in the region following sanctions imposed on Iranian airlines.He called on international aviation bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), to take action.