Gulf Tensions Spill Over

December 31, 2025

Saudi Arabia carried out an airstrike on the Yemeni port city of Mukalla, targeting what it described as weapons and military vehicles that had been unloaded from two ships that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. Riyadh said the vessels disabled their tracking systems and delivered a significant shipment of arms to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a separatist force operating in southern Yemen. The Saudi-led coalition labelled the shipment a clear threat to regional security and stability and justified the limited strike as necessary to neutralise that threat. Saudi state media said the operation was conducted with precision to avoid civilian casualties.

The UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Southern Transitional Council, which seeks independence for South Yemen, has recently expanded its control over areas including Hadramaut and al-Mahra provinces, displacing forces aligned with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. This advance intensified tensions within the anti-Houthi coalition and prompted Riyadh to publicly link Abu Dhabi to actions it sees as undermining collective efforts in the decade-long conflict against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels. Saudi authorities described the UAE’s involvement as “highly dangerous” and inconsistent with the coalition’s goals of restoring security and stability in Yemen.

In response to the airstrike, Yemen’s anti-Houthi forces declared a state of emergency and imposed a 72-hour blockade on the port of Mukalla as well as border crossings, with exemptions only for movements authorised by the coalition. They also called for the withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemeni territory within 24 hours, reflecting a rapid breakdown in cooperation between Yemeni leaders and their former supporter.