Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday, saying the operation targeted a shipment of weapons that had arrived from the United Arab Emirates and was intended for a separatist faction operating in the region. The strike marks a sharp escalation in tensions not only within Yemen’s complex conflict but also between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, two allies whose interests in the country have increasingly diverged in recent years.
According to an official statement released by the Saudi military and carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency, the weapons shipment originated from Fujairah, a port city on the UAE’s eastern coast. The statement claimed that the cargo was destined for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist group that seeks to re-establish an independent South Yemen. Saudi authorities alleged that the ships involved had deliberately disabled their tracking systems and unloaded large quantities of weapons and military vehicles upon arrival in Mukalla.
The Saudi military said it carried out what it described as a “limited and precise” airstrike after determining that the weapons posed an imminent threat to regional stability. The operation was reportedly conducted overnight to minimise civilian casualties and prevent collateral damage. However, officials did not disclose whether any casualties resulted from the bombing or whether other coalition partners were involved in the attack.
The United Arab Emirates did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, the STC’s affiliated media outlet acknowledged that strikes had taken place but did not provide further details. Analysts tracking maritime movements identified one of the vessels involved as the Greenland, a roll-on, roll-off ship flagged in St. Kitts, which had been seen in Fujairah on December 22 before arriving in Mukalla days later. A second vessel believed to be involved has not yet been identified.
Yemen analyst Mohammed al-Basha said videos circulating on social media appeared to show newly arrived armoured vehicles moving through Mukalla shortly before the strike. He suggested the attack would likely lead to a controlled escalation, with the Saudi-backed side attempting to curb the flow of arms to the STC. He also noted that Saudi Arabia’s control of Yemeni airspace gives it significant leverage in limiting future weapons deliveries.
Footage later broadcast on Saudi state television appeared to show armoured vehicles being transported to a staging area in Mukalla, reinforcing claims that military equipment had recently been offloaded. Mukalla, located in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout governorate, holds strategic importance and lies roughly 480 kilometres northeast of Aden, which has served as the temporary seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government since the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014.
The strike follows a series of earlier Saudi air attacks on STC positions in recent days, which analysts believe were intended as a warning to the separatist group to halt its territorial expansion in Hadramout and neighbouring Mahra province. The STC has recently pushed out forces aligned with Saudi-backed National Shield units, further deepening rifts within the anti-Houthi coalition.
The developments have intensified strains between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, despite their long-standing partnership and shared membership in OPEC. While both countries oppose the Iran-backed Houthi movement, they have backed rival factions on the ground in Yemen and pursued competing regional ambitions.
The escalation comes amid broader instability across the Red Sea region. Fighting has intensified in Sudan, where Riyadh and Abu Dhabi support opposing sides in the ongoing conflict. At the same time, Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland as an independent state has further unsettled regional dynamics, prompting threats from Yemen’s Houthi movement against any Israeli presence in the area.
Together, these developments underline the fragile balance of power in the region and highlight how Yemen’s long-running conflict continues to serve as a flashpoint for wider geopolitical rivalries.
