Yemen shuts gov’t-held airports as tensions flare up over Iranian plane

ADEN, Yemen, July 13– Yemen’s internationally recognized government on Monday suspended civilian flights and temporarily closed all airports under its control as tensions between the government and the Houthi group flared up over an Iranian flight carrying a Houthi delegation.

The Aden-based Transport Ministry of Yemen’s government, said in an official circular that all airlines and international organizations operating flights to and from Yemen had been notified that the closure took immediate effect and would remain in force until further notice.

An official at Aden’s airport told Xinhua that civilian air traffic had been temporarily suspended at Aden, Seiyun and Al-Rayyan airports in Hadramout province as a “precautionary measure.