Politics Air strikes at the port: Yemen facing a new phase of escalation?
After more than a decade of civil war, Yemen is facing a possible new phase of serious escalation. A military alliance led by Saudi Arabia bombed the port of Mukalla there on Tuesday morning, claiming that the United Arab Emirates had wanted to use two ships to deliver weapons and vehicles to separatists in the country. It is an open and unprecedented confrontation between the two Gulf states in Yemen, which are actually allied in the fight against the Houthi militia.
30.12.2025, 17:04
SDA
In the afternoon, the Emirates surprisingly announced the withdrawal of their remaining troops from Yemen. The move was made "in light of recent developments" in the country, the Emirati Ministry of Defense told the state agency WAM. Abu Dhabi is therefore likely to have bowed to pressure from Riyadh, at least for the time being.
Civil war in Yemen for years
In Yemen, an impoverished country on the Arabian Peninsula, there has been a civil war for years and a humanitarian catastrophe of dramatic proportions. The war is being fought primarily between the Houthi militia on the one hand and an alliance of Saudi Arabia, the Emirates and the Yemeni government on the other. However, the Emirates and Saudi Arabia are also rivals vying for influence and resources in the region. They also support different sides in the Sudan conflict.
Saudi Arabia has now directly accused the Emirates for the first time of supporting the separatists of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen and "forcing" them to carry out "military operations" on the border with Saudi Arabia. The Emirates' steps are "highly dangerous" - the threat to Saudi Arabia's national security is a "red line" that will be responded to immediately. The STC was founded in 2017 with the support of the Emirates. The separatists are aiming to secede from the north in the country, which was divided between 1967 and 1990.
Burnt-out off-road vehicles in the harbor
Pictures taken after the attack on Tuesday morning showed burnt-out SUVs and armored vehicles at the port of Mukalla. The military alliance announced that a "limited military operation" had been carried out there, in which there were no casualties or "collateral damage". There were also no reports of casualties from the Yemeni side.
The separatists took control of large areas in the oil-rich provinces of Hadramaut and al-Mahra at the beginning of December, putting pressure on both government forces and Riyadh. A few days ago, the STC reported air strikes, which observers assessed as warning shots from Riyadh.
The Emirates appeared to want to avert the threat of escalation with their Saudi partner. In a statement, Abu Dhabi spoke of a "time that requires coordination at the highest level, restraint and wisdom", as reported by the state agency WAM. At the same time, the Emirates rejected accusations of alleged arms deliveries. The delivery of two ships did not contain weapons, but vehicles for Emirati troops in Yemen. It is not known whether and how many troops the Emirates have in Yemen. The fact that Abu Dhabi has announced the complete withdrawal of its troops is a clear step towards de-escalation.
Stalemate in the Presidential Council: allies of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi
The conflict between the actual partners also quickly played out within the Yemeni government. Rashad al-Alimi, the Chairman of the Presidential Council, who is allied with Riyadh, declared the agreement with the Emirates on the joint fight against the Houthis to be over and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Emirati troops. "All Emirati troops must withdraw from Yemeni territory within 24 hours," he said in a televised speech. He also announced a 90-day state of emergency in Yemen and a 72-hour air, land and sea blockade.
A few hours later, the four council members, who are allied with Abu Dhabi, described this announcement as a solo effort by al-Alimi. He had no authority to "unilaterally make sovereign, military or strategic political decisions", according to a statement by the four members - otherwise such decisions would be invalid.
Yemen facing a "phase of uncertainty"
This led to confusion as to whether the alliance between the two Gulf states in the fight against the Houthi could still be maintained or whether, as some experts suspected, a new phase of fighting in Yemen was imminent. This could be averted for the time being with the Emirati withdrawal, even if the separatists in the country are likely to stick to their demands.
Sadik al-Wisabi, a political observer in Yemen, spoke of an "unprecedented military and political escalation" after the attacks in Mukalla. However, this was to be expected because there were increasing rifts and differences over strategic goals in the alliance between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. "Yemen is now heading into a phase of uncertainty," al-Wisabi told dpa. In the event of new fighting, this could mainly take place in the east.
The war in Yemen began in 2014, when the Iranian-backed Houthi militia overran the north and the capital Sanaa. Saudi Arabia began bombing their targets in 2015. The Emirates also sent troops, but withdrew again in 2019. While Saudi Arabia is primarily concerned about its own security due to fighting in the neighboring country, Abu Dhabi wants to secure strategically important access to the Gulf of Aden in southern Yemen and the ports there.
