Saudi planes have bombed a shipment of military material intended for southern Yemeni separatists, backed by the United Arab Emirates, in an offensive launched this month. This action marks the biggest escalation between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the entrenched Yemeni conflict. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government has declared a state of emergency and demanded Emirati withdrawal within 24 hours.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allies in the coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015, have risen since early December due to Emirati support for the Southern Transitional Council (STC). The southern separatists launched an offensive this month in the country's east, capturing two border provinces with Oman and Saudi Arabia, including positions in the oil-rich Hadramaut province.
Last Friday, Saudi forces had already carried out warning attacks against STC positions in Hadramaut. On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, Saudi planes bombed a shipment of weapons and military equipment that arrived at the port of Mukalla, allegedly from the Emirates via two vessels from the port of Fujairah. The internationally recognized Yemeni government, backed by Riyadh, denounced the shipment as unauthorized and intended to supply the STC.
In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry warned that Emirati actions pose a “threat to the kingdom's national security” and “constitute a red line,” demanding Abu Dhabi respond to the Yemeni request to withdraw its forces within 24 hours and suspend any military or financial support. The Yemeni government terminated the joint defense agreement with the Emirates, ordered all Emirati personnel to withdraw within 24 hours, declared a state of emergency for 90 renewable days, and imposed a 72-hour air, sea, and land blockade on ports and borders, excluding those of the coalition.
The Emirates rejected the accusations, stating the shipment, previously coordinated with the coalition, contained vehicles for their own forces' use and no weapons. The Emirati Defense Ministry announced the voluntary withdrawal of all its troops from Yemen “in light of recent events and potential repercussions.” The STC separatists described the Yemeni measures as “illegal” and warned of their “political, legal, security, and economic consequences,” urging an agreement to prevent further collapse in a country mired in civil war since 2014.
This episode highlights divisions within the coalition intervening in Yemen against the Shiite Houthis, who ousted the Sunni government over a decade ago. The separatists seek to revive the independent State of South Yemen, which existed from 1967 to 1990.
