Saudi Arabia said it carried out a “limited” airstrike on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla after what it described as a shipment of weapons and combat vehicles arrived by sea from the United Arab Emirates for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist force backed by Abu Dhabi.
In statements carried by the Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi-led coalition said two vessels had sailed from Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern coast with their tracking devices disabled and unloaded “a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles” in support of STC forces. The coalition said it warned civilians and port workers to evacuate the area before striking the cargo during the night, describing the shipment as an “imminent threat” to peace and stability.
The United Arab Emirates did not immediately respond publicly to the allegation. STC-linked media acknowledged strikes in Mukalla without detailing damage or casualties. Independent verification of the coalition’s claim about the cargo was not available.
Mukalla lies on Yemen’s south-eastern coast in Hadramout, around 480km north-east of Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government since Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The STC has advanced in recent days in Hadramout and neighbouring al-Mahra, areas where Saudi Arabia has supported rival anti-Houthi units, including the National Shield Forces.
The airstrike followed earlier Saudi strikes on STC positions late last week that analysts described as a signal for the separatists to halt their push eastwards. The STC, which seeks autonomy or independence for the south, has raised the flag of the former South Yemen, a state that existed from 1967 until unification with North Yemen in 1990.
Tracking data reviewed by reporters and analysts pointed to at least one ship, a roll-on, roll-off vessel identified as the Greenland and flagged to St Kitts and Nevis, moving from Fujairah to Mukalla in late December. Saudi state television later broadcast surveillance-style footage showing armoured vehicles moving from the port to a staging area, in images broadly consistent with separate videos posted online from Mukalla.
Mohammed al-Basha, a Yemen analyst who runs the Basha Report risk advisory, said he expected “a calibrated escalation” and argued that the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC would likely be curtailed after the port attack, given Saudi control of Yemen’s airspace.
Riyadh’s Foreign Ministry later issued its clearest public warning yet to Abu Dhabi, saying that “steps taken” by the UAE were “extremely dangerous”, and directly linking Emirati support to the STC’s advances in the east. The language marked a shift from Saudi efforts over the past two years to manage differences with the UAE while both pursued de-escalation with the Houthis.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, headed by Rashad al-Alimi, responded by declaring a state of emergency and ordering all Emirati forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. The council also said it had cancelled a defence agreement with the UAE and imposed a 72-hour ban on border crossings and restrictions on airport and seaport entries in areas under its control, with exemptions requiring approval from the Saudi-led coalition.
The escalation exposes widening fractures inside the coalition assembled by Saudi Arabia in 2015 to fight the Houthis. The UAE scaled back much of its direct military presence in Yemen earlier in the war, but has continued to support local forces, including the STC. Saudi Arabia, by contrast, has backed institutions aligned with Yemen’s recognised government and has opposed steps that could formalise partition.
The dispute comes amid broader competition between the two Gulf powers over trade, investment and regional influence, despite their cooperation in areas such as energy policy. It also comes as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have supported opposing forces in Sudan’s war, adding to strains across the Red Sea region.
For Yemen, the clash adds a new point of tension within the anti-Houthi camp as negotiations over a longer-term settlement remain incomplete. Control of ports, border routes and access points in the south and east has become a central issue for the rival groups, with implications for customs revenues, security and the movement of forces.
