Saudi Arabia warns that it will take all necessary measures to neutralize any threat
Saudi Arabia publicly accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of “extremely dangerous” actions in Yemen, while conducting “limited” airstrikes on the port of Mukalla this Tuesday morning, following accusations that two UAE ships had delivered weapons and combat vehicles to separatist forces.
In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs classified the “measures” taken by the UAE as a threat to its national security, in an escalation that highlights the worsening of the gap between the region’s closest partners.
The Saudi statement was issued moments after a speech by the head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, Rashad Al Olimi, a Saudi-backed body, who accused the UAE of “directing” forces to “rebel against state authority” and of “military escalation” in the country.
“The Kingdom emphasizes that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary measures to confront and neutralize any such threat,” reads the statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
CNN contacted the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment, but did not receive a response.
Earlier this month, the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched an offensive that took control of key provinces in Yemen – a move that infuriated the Saudi-backed government, which says the military action fragmented a battle against Iran-backed Houthi forces in the north.
Groups allied with the STC have invaded the oil-rich Hadhramout province, claiming a total of eight governorates and renewing calls for southern Yemen to secede as an independent state.
Meanwhile, Saudi-backed groups in Yemen called on all UAE forces to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours and ended a defense pact with the UAE.
It is unclear which UAE forces are currently in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — both neighboring oil giants — are two close allies and key partners of the United States that control trillions in global assets.
Before the escalation, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for diplomacy and restraint last week.
“The United States is concerned about recent developments in southeastern Yemen. We call for restraint and continued diplomacy with a view to achieving a lasting solution. We are grateful for the diplomatic leadership of our partners, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, and we continue to support all efforts to advance our common security interests,” he said in X.
The two countries were united, together with Bahrain and Egypt, in imposing a blockade on Qatar, another Gulf country, which lasted more than three years, marking the most serious recent crisis within the Arab bloc. The UAE also supported Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen, before withdrawing in 2019.
More than a decade of war in Yemen has turned the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Years of fighting worsened the country’s economic crisis and destroyed social services.
CNN’s Nadeen Ebrahim contributed to this report
