The Yemeni government has formally terminated an agreement with the United Arab Emirates concerning joint operations against the Houthi movement, signaling a sharp deterioration in relations and a fresh escalation of the complex conflict. The Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), backed by Saudi Arabia, issued a directive on Tuesday demanding the withdrawal of Emirati forces from Yemeni territory within a 24-hour timeframe. Simultaneously, a 72-hour ban on all border crossings was implemented, with exceptions granted only for entries authorized by Saudi Arabia, effectively tightening Riyadh’s control over movement within Yemen.
This dramatic turn follows a recent Saudi Arabian airstrike targeting the port city of Mukalla. Reports suggest the attack was aimed at intercepting a weapons shipment originating from the UAE, purportedly destined for Yemeni separatist factions. The Saudi Press Agency characterized the strike as a necessary response to an “imminent threat” raising questions about the extent of the UAE’s clandestine operations within Yemen and the degree of intelligence Riyadh possesses regarding them.
The incident underscores the increasingly divergent interests and clandestine maneuvering within the anti-Houthi coalition. While both Saudi Arabia and the UAE ostensibly share the goal of countering Iranian influence and confronting the Houthi rebels, their strategic objectives and preferred proxies often clash. The UAE’s support for separatist groups, particularly the Southern Transitional Council (STC), has repeatedly undermined the PLC’s legitimacy and complicated Saudi Arabia’s attempts to forge a unified front against the Houthis.
Analysts suggest the Saudi action represents a deliberate attempt to curtail the UAE’s regional influence and consolidate control over the Yemeni conflict. The crackdown on border crossings highlights Saudi Arabia’s anxieties about unauthorized weapons flows and its desire to preempt further Emirati actions deemed destabilizing. However, the move also risks further fragmentation within the anti-Houthi alliance, potentially emboldening the rebels and prolonging the protracted civil war. The full implications of this rupture remain to be seen, but it clearly signifies a significant shift in the power dynamics of the Yemeni conflict and potentially broader regional geopolitical alignments.
