'Extremely dangerous': Saudi Arabia's open warning to UAE after bombing Yemen port

Saudi airstrikes on Yemen port expose growing rift with UAE-backed separatists

Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, saying it had targeted a weapons shipment intended for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), marking a sharp escalation in tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

In a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the Saudi-led coalition said the strikes followed the arrival of two ships from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s eastern coast. The statement alleged that the vessels had disabled their tracking systems and unloaded weapons and armoured vehicles for separatist forces.

Saudi Arabia later directly linked the UAE to the separatists’ advances in southern Yemen and warned Abu Dhabi that its actions were “extremely dangerous,” according to officials cited in regional media reports.

“The ships’ crew had the disabled tracking devices aboard the vessels, and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council’s forces,” the statement said.

“Considering that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat, and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla.”

In a separate statement, Saudi authorities said: “Given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces conducted a limited military operation this morning targeting weapons and combat vehicles unloaded from the two ships at the port of al-Mukalla.”

Saudi Arabia said the strike was carried out overnight to minimise the risk of civilian casualties, though it did not clarify whether there were any deaths or injuries. It also remains unclear whether any other coalition members participated in the operation.

The UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The STC’s AIC satellite channel acknowledged the airstrikes but offered no further details.

The attack underscores widening rifts between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, long-time allies that have increasingly supported rival factions in Yemen’s decade-long conflict against Iran-backed Houthi rebels. While the two Gulf powers continue to cooperate on several regional and economic fronts, analysts say competition for influence in southern Yemen has intensified.

Mukalla, located in Yemen’s Hadramout governorate, was recently seized by the STC after clashes with Saudi-backed National Shield Forces. The port city lies about 480 kilometres northeast of Aden, which has served as the centre of anti-Houthi power since the rebels captured the capital, Sana’a, in 2014.

Tuesday’s strike followed Saudi airstrikes last week that were widely interpreted as a warning to the STC to halt its territorial advances and withdraw from Hadramout and neighbouring Mahra province.

Following the Mukalla attack, Yemen’s anti-Houthi authorities declared a state of emergency and imposed a 72-hour ban on border crossings, airports and seaports in areas under their control, allowing access only with Saudi approval.

Analysts warn the escalation could further strain Saudi-UAE ties and complicate the already fragile balance among anti-Houthi forces, even as instability grows across the wider Red Sea region.

(With agency inputs)