Saudi Arabia’s airstrike on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla marks a calibrated but consequential escalation inside the anti-Houthi coalition, exposing widening fault lines between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi. The strike targeted what Saudi officials described as a weapons shipment intended for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist force backed by the United Arab Emirates.

According to a military statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency, coalition aircraft struck weapons and armored vehicles unloaded from two vessels that arrived in Mukalla from Fujairah on Dec. 22 and Dec. 29. The statement said the ships’ tracking devices were disabled and that the cargo posed “an imminent threat.” Saudi officials said the strike was conducted overnight to avoid civilian harm and confirmed no other militaries participated. Casualties were not reported.

“Extremely Dangerous” Warning to Abu Dhabi

The diplomatic signal was as significant as the military action. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry publicly linked the STC’s recent advances to Emirati support for the first time, warning that the UAE’s steps were “extremely dangerous.” The UAE did not immediately respond to requests for comment, though Abu Dhabi’s English-language newspaper The National acknowledged the strike. The language reflects mounting Saudi concern that Emirati backing for separatist forces is undermining Riyadh’s preferred political framework for Yemen.

Yemen’s anti-Houthi authorities reacted swiftly. They declared a state of emergency on Dec. 30, ended cooperation with the UAE, ordered all Emirati forces to leave within 24 hours, and imposed a 72-hour ban on border crossings, airports, and seaports under their control, except those approved by Saudi Arabia.