Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) Oversized military trucks painted in desert beige hauled tanks in the same camouflage color down a dark highway late Saturday past glowing billboards in the Saudi Arabian town of Jazan.

With the border with Yemen little more than 20 miles away, the trucks captured on a video distributed by the news agency Reuters also carried a message: Suggestions of a ground incursion into Yemen, which is in the throes of a Houthi rebel uprising, may be more than just talk.

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have both spoken about the possibility of putting boots on the ground before. And on Saturday, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yaseen said he expected coalition troops to be in Yemen within days.

Saudi leaders have said that if troops do go in, they won't leave until they have degraded the Houthis' ability to do battle, CNN's Ian Lee reported. The Houthis are apt guerrillas. A fight on the ground could prove bloody and lengthy.

Politically, the situation appears to be heating up. Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, has been removed from his post as ambassador to United Arab Emirates, according to two aides of the nation's current President, Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi.

Hadi fled the country in February amid the Houthi uprising. He went to Aden and declared that he remained the country's leader.

Also on Sunday, pro-Hadi fighters took over Aden's airport, according to security officials in Aden, but that airport hasn't been operational for weeks.

Yemen's ex-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Shiite, still holds influence over large parts of the Yemeni army, and his troops are also fighting the government. In a taped speech played on Yemen Today TV on Friday, he called for the airstrikes to stop and offered in return not to run for president in the next elections.

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The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Shiite Houthis, who deposed the Yemeni government and seized territory in a series of offensives, began its military action last week.

It answered Hadi's call for intervention with an unrelenting air campaign called "Decisive Storm."

President's warning

Hadi slipped out of Yemen last week and has gone to the resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the Arab League summit, where he is rallying support with leaders of member nations for operation Determination Storm.

Support is already broad. The coalition nations participating in the bombardments make up about a third of the league's membership.

On Saturday, Hadi called the Houthis out: "You violated the sovereignty (of Yemen), and you bear the responsibility for what happened and what is going to happen."

Photos: Unrest in Yemen Photos: Unrest in Yemen The sky over Sanaa, Yemen, is illuminated by anti-aircraft fire during a Saudi-led airstrike on Friday, April 17. The coalition's warplanes have been carrying out strikes against Houthi rebels since President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi fled the country in late March. Hide Caption 1 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Yemeni boy holds a rifle as Houthi supporters attend a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on Sunday, April 5, protesting airstrikes carried out by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels. Hide Caption 2 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis dig graves on Saturday, April 4, to bury the victims of a reported airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition in the village of Bani Matar, Yemen. Hide Caption 3 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis search for survivors in the rubble of houses destroyed by Saudi-led airstrikes on April 4 in a village near Sanaa. Hide Caption 4 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Central Sanaa is covered in dust on Friday, April 3. Airstrikes have turned the bustling capital of Yemen into a ghost town. Hide Caption 5 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Yemeni man loads a TV set into a van as he prepares to flee Sanaa on Thursday, April 2. Hide Caption 6 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Militiamen loyal to Hadi take positions on a street in Aden, Yemen, on Thursday, April 2. Houthi rebels seized the presidential palace in Aden, a neutral security official and two Houthi commanders in Aden told CNN. The Houthis are Shiite Muslims who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country. The Sunni Saudis consider the Houthis proxies for the Shiite government of Iran and fear another Shiite-dominated state in the region. Hide Caption 7 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A framed photo and a purse hang on the wall of a house destroyed by an airstrike near the Sanaa airport on Tuesday, March 31. Hide Caption 8 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Buildings burn at the Jabal al-Hadid military camp in Aden on Saturday, March 28. Yemeni military officials said an explosion rocked the camp that houses a weapons depot, killing and wounding several people. The camp reportedly had been taken by security forces loyal to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Some of the forces aligned with the Houthis are also loyal to Saleh, who resigned in 2012 after months of Arab Spring protests. Hide Caption 9 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemeni supporters of the Houthi movement attend a demonstration against Saudi military operations Thursday, March 26, in Sanaa. Hide Caption 10 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen People search for survivors under the rubble of houses destroyed by airstrikes near the Sanaa Airport on March 26. Hide Caption 11 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Members of Yemen's General People's Committee deploy in Aden, Yemen, on Wednesday, March 25. The militiamen are loyal to Hadi. Hide Caption 12 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen On March 25, honor guards in Sanaa carry the coffins of victims who were killed in suicide bombing attacks several days earlier. Deadly explosions in Sanaa rocked two mosques serving the Zaidi sect of Shiite Islam, which is followed by the Houthi rebels that took over the capital city in January. Hide Caption 13 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemenis stand in front of burning tires during an anti-Houthi protest in Taiz, Yemen, on Tuesday, March 24. Hide Caption 14 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Medics treat an anti-Houthi protester who was injured during clashes with pro-Houthi police in Taiz on March 24. Hide Caption 15 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Armed men inspect damage after an explosion at the Al Badr mosque in Sanaa on Friday, March 20. Hide Caption 16 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man in Aden holds a police shield that he looted from a base belonging to forces loyal to Saleh on Thursday, March 19. Hide Caption 17 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi supporters in Sanaa deploy giant national flags Wednesday, March 18, during a demonstration to mark the fourth anniversary of the "Friday of Dignity" attack. In 2011, forces loyal to Saleh opened fire on protesters who had gathered in Sanaa to demand the ouster of Saleh and his regime. Hide Caption 18 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh, the son of the former President, wave banners and shout slogans during a demonstration in Sanaa on Tuesday, March 10. The demonstrators were demanding presidential elections be held and that the younger Saleh run for office. Hide Caption 19 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A child raises his fist during a rally by Houthi supporters in Sanaa on Friday, March 6. Hide Caption 20 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Thousands of armed Yemeni tribal members gather in the southern province of Shabwa on Monday, February 23. Hide Caption 21 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement perform prayers during a demonstration in Aden on Friday, February 13. Hide Caption 22 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi fighters guard the gate of the presidential palace where a bomb went off and wounded three people in Sanaa on Saturday, February 7. Hide Caption 23 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Yemeni soldiers guard the presidential palace in Sanaa on Friday, February 6. Hide Caption 24 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Members of the Houthi movement and their allies attend a meeting in the Yemeni capital on Sunday, February 1. Hide Caption 25 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Supporters of the separatist Southern Movement flash the victory sign after they seized police security checkpoints on Saturday, January 24, in Ataq, the capital of the Shabwa province in Yemen. Policemen were told to give up their weapons and return to their bases before the militiamen raised flags of the formerly independent South Yemen at the checkpoints. Hide Caption 26 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi rebels fight with Yemeni protesters during a rally in Sanaa on January 24. Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa in the largest demonstration against Houthis since the Shiite militiamen overran the capital in September. Hide Caption 27 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen On Friday, January 23, Houthis carry coffins of those killed during recent clashes with presidential guard forces in Sanaa. Hide Caption 28 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Houthi militiaman sits near a tank near the presidential palace in Sanaa on Thursday, January 22. Hide Caption 29 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men wearing army uniforms stand guard on a street leading to the presidential palace in Sanaa on Wednesday, January 21. Hide Caption 30 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A wounded man rests at a hospital in Sanaa on January 21. He was reportedly injured in fierce clashes the previous day. Hide Caption 31 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A tank is stationed in front of the Sanaa house of President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi on January 21. Hide Caption 32 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A Houthi rebel mans a checkpoint near the presidential palace on January 21. Hide Caption 33 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man walks inside a heavily damaged house near the presidential palace on Tuesday, January 20. Hide Caption 34 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A woman walks past closed shops in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 35 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen An armed member of the Houthi movement stands guard in the streets of Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 36 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen A man surveys his damaged home in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 37 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthis inspect a damaged mosque in Sanaa on January 20. Hide Caption 38 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men raise their weapons during clashes near the presidential palace on Monday, January 19. Hide Caption 39 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Smoke and flames rise in Sanaa during heavy clashes between presidential guards and Houthi rebels on January 19. Hide Caption 40 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Tribal soldiers protecting the city from Houthi rebels stand guard at the city borders in Marib, Yemen, on January 19. Hide Caption 41 of 42 Photos: Unrest in Yemen Houthi men guard a Sanaa street on January 19. Hide Caption 42 of 42

Dozens have died from the coalition bombardment. Houthi commanders put the death toll at 48. Most of the dead are civilians, they said.

Airstrikes have hit Houthi militant groups, smashed their big air defense guns and crumbled key infrastructure that links major towns with the capital, Sanaa, a Saudi official has said. The coalition has destroyed Yemeni army weapons caches and military facilities.

Saudi naval special forces have also rescued dozens of diplomats, the official said. And many U.N. representatives have fled the unrest.

Saudi Arabia has set up a blockade, effectively cutting off Houthi supply lines, and its air force controls Yemeni airspace. They have threatened to attack ships that might supply the rebels.

Regional religious chasm

The Shiite Houthis are allied with Iran, a majority Shiite nation. Saudi Arabia has accused Iran of beefing up the Houthis' weaponry for their offensive.

Hadi denounced them on Saturday as Iran's "puppet."

"I say to the puppet of Iran, and those who are with him, you destroyed Yemen with your immature politics, and creating internal and regional crisis," he said.

The conflict splits the region along religious lines. Determination Storm's coalition comprises the majority Sunni nations of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt and Sudan.

On Saturday, Houthis claimed to have shot down a Sudanese jet and captured the pilot. They distributed photos of a pilot and wreckage to back up the claim.

Iran and Saudi Arabia are bitter rivals. Having Yemen become an Iranian satellite country on its border would be unacceptable to the kingdom.

Iran has sharply denounced the Saudi-dominated armed intervention.

And two Arab League members, Lebanon and Iraq, have voiced opposition to Determination Storm, Lee reported. Both countries are majority Shiite.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to Yemen on Sunday to criticize nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations. He accused Iran of trying to use the conflict in Yemen to "take over the whole Middle East."

U.S. interests

The United States voiced approval of the airstrikes. It's supporting them logistically and aiding coalition forces in locating targets, but it is not participating in active battle.

The unrest in Yemen led to the withdrawal of U.S. special forces earlier this month , seriously undermining counterterrorism efforts in a country that has been a stronghold for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

For years, Yemen had allowed U.S. drones and special operations forces to stalk AQAP in the country. Now, that arrangement is in tatters.

On Saturday, the coalition struck al Anad Airbase, which was used as the headquarters for U.S. counterterrorism operations, Houthi commanders said. Houthi rebels had taken control of the base.

Country in chaos

Houthi rebels and the government began doing battle in 2004, but arrived at a ceasefire in 2010, according to the CIA World Factbook. The country has seen much unrest in the wake of the Arab Spring uprising.

Yemen was plunged into chaos when the Houthi rebels, who have long felt marginalized in the majority Sunni country, began seizing control of the capital and other areas of the country last fall.

Houthis moved into Sanaa in September, sparking battles that killed a few hundred people before a ceasefire was called. In January, they surrounded the presidential palace and Hadi resigned and was put under house arrest.

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In February the Houthis took control of military forces stationed near Sanaa, including the air force.

But the chaos is not limited to the Houthi uprising.

In the area of the southern port city of Aden, opposing Yemeni military forces -- those allied with the Houthis, and those supporting Hadi -- have fought for more than a week.

CORRECTION: Pakistan is not participating in airstrikes over Yemen, the Pakistani embassy in Washington said. CNN previously included Pakistan in an illustration of coalition member countries participating the operation Determination Storm. The illustration said the country was contributing 15 jets. That illustration has since been updated.