News - Yemen: The fragile alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates within the US-Saudi-Emirati coalition of aggression against Yemen appears to have shattered publicly, sparking a direct confrontation that threatens to plunge southern Yemen into a new and dangerous phase of conflict.

The rupture escalated dramatically following Saudi accusations that the UAE smuggled weapons into the port of Mukalla in Hadhramaut province to support its proxy, the STC. Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry issued a formal statement expressing regret over Emirati actions, accusing Abu Dhabi of pressuring the STC to carry out operations in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. It declared any threat to Saudi national security a "red line."

This diplomatic breach was accompanied by direct military action. According to media reports, Saudi warplanes conducted airstrikes on the port of Mukalla, targeting weapon storage facilities allegedly linked to the STC. The strikes were reportedly in response to the arrival of two cargo ships from the UAE's Fujairah port that had turned off international tracking systems.

In a consequential political move, Rashad al-Alimi, the chairman of the Saudi-based Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) declared a 90-day state of emergency. He announced the cancellation of the mutual defense agreement with the UAE and issued an ultimatum for all Emirati forces to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours. He further directed the Saudi-aligned "Shield of the Homeland" forces to take control of all camps in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra provinces.

Saudi Arabia seeks a unified, pliable Yemeni government under its influence to secure its southern border. The UAE, however, has empowered the secessionist STC, aiming for a friendly, independent entity in the south that could secure Emirati interests along the Arabian Sea coastline and critical shipping lanes like the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Hadhramaut, with its long coastline, oil resources, and the port of Mukalla, is a key prize. Saudi Arabia views control here as vital for potential alternative oil export routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE's consolidation of power in southern ports directly challenges this objective.

The spat reflects wider Saudi-Emirati competition for geopolitical influence across the region, from the Horn of Africa to Libya. Yemen has become the most violent theater of this rivalry.

The people of southern Yemen, who have endured years of occupation, now face the grim prospect of becoming the primary battlefield in an open power struggle between their former ostensible allies.