US EditionWhat We Know About the Saudi-Led Air Strikes on Ships in Yemen
Saudi Arabia struck a UAE-linked weapons shipment to the Southern Transitional Council, citing threats to national security and disrupted de-escalation talks, escalating Gulf tensions.
- Media circulated images on December 30, 2026, showing damage at al-Mukalla after Saudi Arabia's strike targeting a UAE-linked weapons shipment, according to Riyadh.
- Citing national-security concerns, Riyadh said the strikes targeted UAE-linked weapons because the Southern Transitional Council's advance threatened its border security.
- Coalition surveillance footage shows armoured Streit Group Cougar and Spartan vehicles at Mukalla, while maritime tracking confirms the Greenland and Socotra 3 transited Jebel Ali and Fujairah before arriving near the port.
- The United Arab Emirates announced it would end its mission and withdraw personnel after the strikes, while Yemen's government canceled a defence pact and ordered forces to leave within 24 hours, with U.S. diplomats engaged.
- Analysts warn the Houthis could be the immediate winners as Saudi control of airspace and maritime choke points limits arms flows to United Arab Emirates proxy networks despite 200,000 fighters.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Saudi Arabia and UAE Clash Over Yemen Situation
On 30 December 2025, Saudi Arabia carried out an airstrike on the port city of Mukalla in Yemen, targeting what Riyadh claimed was a shipment of weapons supplied by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a faction seeking independence for southern Yemen. In response, the UAE announced the withdrawal of its remaining counterterrorism personnel from Yemen, emphasizing that the decision to withdraw its…
What we know about the Saudi-led air strikes on ships in Yemen
Open-source imagery and data confirm that the vessels targeted by the Saudi-led coalition air strike on Mukalla, Yemen, on December 30, originated from the United Arab Emirates. The ships were carrying Emirati military vehicles used by a separatist group.
How Saudi Arabia and the UAE Went From Alliance to Open Friction
A Saudi airstrike on Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla this week, which Riyadh said targeted a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Yemeni separatist forces, marked a major escalation of tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, widely regarded as the Gulf’s two most powerful states. Once the twin pillars of regional security, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have seen their interests steadily diverge, from oil policy and trade t…
Saudi Arabia conducts airstrike on Yemeni port city targeting shipment believed to be linked to UAE-backed separatists
The UAE announced plans to withdraw all of its remaining forces in Yemen following the bombing of weapons shipments in Yemen’s port city of Mukalla by Saudi Arabia, which accused the UAE of sending weapons shipments to separatist forces.
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