Saudi-led Coalition Yemen UAE Airstrike 2025: Gulf Alliance Fractures Over Mukalla Port

The alliance is fracturing as Saudi-led forces strike their own partner's shipments. A "limited military operation" in Yemen has set off a diplomatic firestorm between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, marking a dangerous shift in the decade-long conflict.

On December 30, 2025, the Saudi-led coalition launched a precision strike on cargo and combat vehicles at Yemen's Mukalla port. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the operation targeted unauthorized weapons supplied by a foreign military to the Southern Transitional Council (STC). Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry declared its national security a "red line," signaling Riyadh's zero-tolerance for independent military moves by its nominal allies.

Expulsion of UAE Forces and Termination of Defense Pact

In the immediate aftermath of the strike, Rashad al Alimi, the Saudi-backed head of Yemen’s presidential council, identified the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the supplier of the intercepted cargo. Al Alimi issued a drastic ultimatum, ordering all UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. The council has also unilaterally canceled its defense agreement with Abu Dhabi and ordered a 72-hour shutdown of all Yemeni ports and border crossings.

The STC Conflict: From Allies to Protagonists

The STC originally joined the coalition in 2015 to combat the Houthis, but has since pursued self-rule in southern Yemen. While a 2022 power-sharing arrangement brought temporary calm, the group's recent offensive in Hadramout and its subsequent weapons procurement appear to have breached Saudi Arabia's strategic patience. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for "restraint and continued diplomacy" to prevent a complete collapse of regional stability.