Tensions Rise as Saudi Arabia Targets Alleged UAE-Backed Arms Shipment in Yemen

The conflict in the Middle East appears to be entering a new and more complex phase. After Israel, Yemen is emerging as a fresh flashpoint, with growing tensions between two Muslim nations. Already destabilized by the Houthi insurgency, the region has now witnessed a sharp escalation.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia launched intense airstrikes on Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla. The Saudi-led coalition said the strikes were aimed at a covert weapons shipment allegedly sent to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group operating in southern Yemen.

Saudi authorities claim the shipment arrived aboard a vessel from Fujairah on the UAE’s eastern coast and included large quantities of arms and armored vehicles. According to the Saudi military, the ship’s tracking systems had been switched off, suggesting the transfer was carried out secretly. Riyadh warned that the UAE’s support for separatist forces in Yemen is highly dangerous and could threaten regional security.

Following these developments, the UAE announced it would withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen after receiving an ultimatum from coalition forces. The UAE Ministry of Defense said the decision was based on recent events and concerns over the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism operations, though no timeline for the withdrawal was provided.

Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of backing separatist attacks in Yemen, a charge Abu Dhabi has denied. While rejecting claims of sending weapons, the UAE admitted to transporting armored vehicles, stating they were intended for its own forces. The UAE also urged restraint and prudence, emphasizing that it had already scaled back most of its military presence in Yemen.