Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that its national security was a red line and backed a call for United Arab Emirates forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours, shortly after a Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on the southern port of Mukalla.
The warning marked Riyadh’s strongest language yet against Abu Dhabi. The coalition said it struck what it described as foreign military support for UAE-backed southern separatists, while Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council head set a deadline for Emirati forces to withdraw. Saudi Arabia urged the UAE to comply.
The escalation risks wider repercussions, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE both key members of the OPEC oil exporters’ group, which is due to meet virtually on Sunday. Gulf stock markets were trading lower on Tuesday following the flare-up.
Yemen’s presidential council head Rashad al-Alimi cancelled a defence pact with the UAE and accused it of fuelling internal strife by backing the Southern Transitional Council (STC). He said the UAE had pressured and directed the STC to undermine state authority through military escalation. The UAE did not immediately comment.
The STC this month launched a surprise offensive against Saudi-backed government forces, claiming broad control of southern Yemen, including Hadramout. Saudi Arabia had warned against military moves in the province.
The coalition said the Mukalla strike followed the unauthorised arrival of two ships from the UAE port of Fujairah, which it accused of unloading weapons and combat vehicles after disabling tracking systems. Saudi state media said the strike caused no casualties.
Alimi imposed a 72-hour no-fly zone and sea and ground blockade, while the STC rejected the orders, insisting the UAE remained a key partner in the fight against the Houthis.
