Saudi Arabia has conducted a military strike on the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, accusing the United Arab Emirates of shipping weapons to separatist forces there. The attack marks a significant and public escalation of tensions between the two Gulf allies, who have backed competing factions in Yemen's long-running civil war.
A Direct Strike and a Damning Accusation
The Saudi-led coalition confirmed the airstrike in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency on Tuesday. It stated that the operation targeted weapons and military vehicles unloaded from two vessels that had arrived in Mukalla from Fujairah, a major port on the UAE's eastern coast.
The Saudi military claimed the ships' crews had disabled tracking devices and that the cargo was intended to bolster the forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group that seeks an independent South Yemen and is a primary beneficiary of Emirati support. The strike was described as "limited" and conducted overnight to avoid "collateral damage." Casualty figures remain unclear.
Analysts identified one of the targeted vessels as the Greenland, a roll-on, roll-off ship. Maritime tracking data showed it was in Fujairah on 22 December and arrived in Mukalla on Sunday, 24 December. Mohammed al-Basha, a noted Yemen expert, cited social media footage appearing to show new armoured vehicles in Mukalla following the ship's arrival.
Fracturing Alliances in a Decade-Long War
This incident sharply exposes the deepening rift between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi within the anti-Houthi coalition. While both nations have opposed the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels since 2014, their strategic goals in Yemen have increasingly diverged.
Saudi Arabia backs the internationally recognised government, whereas the UAE has heavily invested in and armed the STC, which seeks to restore the independent state of South Yemen. The STC recently seized control of the Hadramout governorate, where Mukalla is located, pushing out Saudi-backed forces known as the National Shield Forces.
Friday's Saudi airstrikes against the STC, preceding the port attack, were widely seen as a warning to halt this advance. The Mukalla strike represents a far more direct and consequential action, taking aim squarely at the UAE's supply lines to its allies.
Broader Implications for Gulf Stability
The fallout from this strike extends beyond Yemen's borders, straining the critical relationship between two of the Middle East's most powerful nations. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both key members of the OPEC oil cartel, maintain close economic and political ties but have also competed for regional influence in recent years.
Al-Basha predicts a "calibrated escalation," with the STC likely to consolidate its territorial control while Saudi Arabia uses its air superiority to disrupt future weapons shipments. The incident adds another layer of volatility to the already tense Red Sea region, where Houthi attacks on shipping have drawn international military responses.
The UAE has not publicly acknowledged the strike, and its government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The STC's media outlet confirmed the attack but provided no further details. As the flags of a separate South Yemen are waved more openly in Hadramout, the foundational alliances of the Yemen war are being tested as never before.
