Saudi Airstrike on Yemen Port Sparks Rift With UAE

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on the southern Yemeni port city of Mukalla on Dec. 30, saying the operation targeted weapons and military vehicles allegedly shipped from the United Arab Emirates to support separatist forces. Riyadh warned that its national security was a “red line” and demanded Emirati forces leave Yemen within 24 hours.

Saudi officials said the vessels involved had disabled tracking systems and unloaded large quantities of weapons intended for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council. Saudi state television aired footage of armored vehicles moving from the port, while Yemeni media showed smoke and burned equipment. Independent verification of the cargo was not possible.

The UAE denied shipping weapons, saying the vehicles were for its own forces and expressing surprise at the strike. Hours later, Abu Dhabi announced it would withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen, citing concerns over recent developments and their impact on security operations.

The escalation exposed deepening divisions within the anti-Houthi coalition. Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council canceled a defense pact with the UAE and accused it of fueling internal conflict by backing the STC’s recent advances in Hadramout governorate.

Beyond Yemen, the confrontation threatens wider regional repercussions. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are key members of OPEC, which is scheduled to meet virtually on Jan. 4, 2026. Analysts warn that a prolonged dispute could complicate coordination on oil output policy and impact global crude prices.

The strike comes amid Yemen’s decade-long war, which began in 2014 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, and has since fractured the country among rival authorities, worsening one of the world’s gravest humanitarian crises.

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