News - Yemen: A high-level British delegation has wrapped up a visit to the city of Aden — the first by a UK minister in nearly seven years. The delegation included the UK Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, and the British Ambassador to Yemen, Abda Sharif.

According to local sources, the visit focused primarily on upgrading and training the so-called “Coast Guard forces” affiliated with the UAE-Saudi–backed Yemeni government. The UK’s objective, sources say, is to enhance these forces' capabilities to counter what London describes as “threats to international shipping” in the Red Sea — a reference widely understood as preparing them to confront Yemeni Armed Forces, which have carried out operations in support of Gaza over the past two years.

Falconer claimed the visit falls within efforts to “strengthen maritime security,” asserting that British support has contributed to “countering arms smuggling and protecting shipping routes.”

The renewed British involvement follows London’s participation — alongside the United States — in the 2023 military campaign aimed at securing access to the port of Umm al-Rashrash in southern occupied Palestine. That campaign ultimately failed, with several British vessels reportedly lost during Yemeni operations.

Over recent months, the UK has stepped up political and financial backing for the Aden-based authorities. At a Saudi-hosted “Yemeni Maritime Security” conference last September, Britain pledged $4 million to support these Coast Guard units. During the latest visit, Ambassador Sharif announced an additional £149 million in assistance.

Analysts note that this growing British engagement underscores close alignment between the Aden authorities and Israeli enemy in efforts to militarize the Red Sea. This comes despite repeated statements from Yemeni Armed Forces and officials in Sana’a affirming that international shipping remains safe and that operations target only Israeli-linked vessels in response to the war on Gaza.

The intensified British activity in Aden raises questions about London’s strategic intentions in the coming period, particularly after a series of military setbacks faced by the US, UK, and the Israeli enemy in the Red Sea over the past two years.

The visit appears less diplomatic and more part of a broader strategy to reposition and restructure the Aden-based Coast Guard, potentially preparing it to serve as a frontline tool against Yemeni forces in the Red Sea theater.