Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla after claiming a shipment of weapons had arrived to support separatist forces backed by the United Arab Emirates. The strike marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Riyadh and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), as well as renewed strain in Saudi-UAE relations.
Saudi authorities said the weapons shipment posed an immediate threat to regional stability and accused vessels arriving from the UAE of delivering arms and military vehicles to the STC. The airstrikes reportedly targeted the offloaded weapons and vehicles, with Saudi officials stating the operation was conducted carefully to avoid civilian harm.
The incident comes amid growing rivalry between Saudi-backed and UAE-backed factions in southern Yemen, even as both countries remain aligned against Houthi forces. Mukalla, located in the strategic Hadramout governorate, has recently seen heightened separatist activity, increasing concerns over further fragmentation and conflict in the war-torn country.