CaliToday (30/12/2025): The historic alliance between Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates appeared to crumble on Tuesday, as Saudi forces conducted "limited" airstrikes on the Yemeni port of Mukalla following explosive accusations that Abu Dhabi was arming separatist militias.
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| This photograph shows damaged military vehicles, reportedly sent by the United Arab Emirates to support Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist forces, following an air strike Tuesday carried out by the Saudi-led coalition in the port of Mukalla, southern Yemen. - AFP/Getty Images |
The Breaking Point The kinetic military action by Riyadh marks an unprecedented turn in the relationship between the two oil giants. The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated the strikes targeted the offloading of combat vehicles and weaponry from two Emirati ships, allegedly intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) a separatist group that has frequently clashed with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
In a blistering statement, Riyadh termed the UAE’s logistical maneuvers "highly dangerous," declaring that any threat to Saudi national security is a "red line."
"The Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat," the ministry warned, effectively accusing its closest regional partner of orchestrating a proxy rebellion on its southern border.
Abu Dhabi Pushback The UAE immediately issued a denial, expressing "surprise" at the Saudi airstrikes. The Emirati Foreign Ministry maintained that the hardware was destined for its own forces and had been coordinated with the Saudi-led coalition previously.
"The UAE categorically rejects any attempt to implicate it in the tensions," the statement read, condemning allegations that it had directed Yemeni parties to threaten Saudi security.
Proxy War Intensifies The diplomatic rupture follows weeks of ground combat. The UAE-backed STC has launched an aggressive offensive in the oil-rich Hadramout province, claiming control of eight governorates and renewing calls for an independent South Yemen.
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| This video screenshot shows militants affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) near the site of airstrikes in Hadramout, Yemen, December 26, 2025. - Xinhua/Shutterstock |
Rashad Al Olimi, head of Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Council, accused Abu Dhabi of "directing" these forces to "rebel against state authority," distracting from the collective fight against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north. Consequently, Saudi-backed factions have issued an ultimatum for all Emirati forces to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours, declaring a defense pact between the groups null and void.
US Calls for Restraint The open conflict between two key U.S. partners—who control trillions in global assets—has alarmed Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously praised the duo's leadership, took to X (formerly Twitter) to urge de-escalation.
"The United States is concerned by recent events in southeastern Yemen. We urge restraint and continued diplomacy," Rubio stated.
For Yemen, already ravaged by a decade of war and humanitarian crisis, the collapse of the Saudi-UAE coalition threatens to fracture the country further, turning former allies into combatants.