Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, targeting what it described as a shipment of weapons destined for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). The United Arab Emirates has not yet commented on the strike.
The attack marks a new escalation in tensions between Riyadh and the Southern separatist forces, further straining ties with Abu Dhabi, which supports rival factions in Yemen’s decade-long conflict against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.
According to a statement by the Saudi Press Agency, the strikes followed the arrival of ships from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s eastern coast. The Saudi military said the vessels’ crew had disabled tracking devices and unloaded a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles for the STC.
“The weapons represented an imminent threat and a potential escalation endangering regional peace and stability,” the statement said. “The Coalition Air Force conducted a limited overnight airstrike targeting the weapons and military vehicles, ensuring no collateral damage occurred.”
It remains unclear if there were casualties or if other military forces participated. The STC’s AIC satellite news channel acknowledged the strikes without providing further details.
Analysts identified one targeted vessel as the Greenland, a roll-on, roll-off ship flagged in St Kitts, which traveled from Fujairah to Mukalla over the weekend. Videos circulated on social media purportedly show armored vehicles moving through Mukalla following the ship’s arrival.
Yemen expert Mohammed al-Basha suggested that the UAE-backed STC may consolidate control in response, while Saudi Arabia seeks to curb the flow of weapons from the UAE into southern Yemen. Footage aired by Saudi state television appeared to show the vehicles moving to a staging area.
Mukalla, located in Yemen’s Hadramout governorate, was recently seized by STC forces. The city lies 480 km northeast of Aden, the anti-Houthi stronghold since the rebels took Sana’a in 2014.
The strike follows Saudi air attacks on the STC last Friday, seen as a warning to halt their advance and vacate Hadramout and Mahra governorates. The STC has pushed out Saudi-backed National Shield Forces and increasingly flown the South Yemen flag, fueling secessionist sentiments.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE continue to rise, despite both countries’ close ties and membership in the OPEC oil cartel, as they compete for influence in Yemen and the wider Red Sea region.
On the other hand, Saudi Arabia has called on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to immediately withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours and halt any military or financial support to any party, in line with the demands of the Yemeni government.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that negotiations remain the only solution for peace in Yemen. The ministry criticized the UAE for pressuring the Southern Transitional Council to take military action, calling the move “regrettable” and a threat to Saudi national security, Yemen’s stability, and regional peace.
Saudi Arabia stated that such actions do not align with the principles of the Arab coalition supporting the Yemeni government. The kingdom warned that any threat or interference affecting national security would be considered a red line, and it will take all necessary measures to address such risks.
