Saudi Arabia Bombs Yemen Port, Prompting UAE to Say It Will Withdraw Forces

The UAE supports the Southern Transitional Council, while Saudi Arabia backs the central government and allied tribal forces.

A frame grab from a video broadcast by Saudi state television showing what the kingdom says is a shipment of weapons and armored vehicles coming from the United Arab Emirates, at Mukalla, Yemen, on Dec. 30, 2025. Saudi state television via AP

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla on Dec. 30, saying the strike targeted a shipment of weapons it said had arrived from the United Arab Emirates to support separatist forces.

Riyadh followed the attack with a demand that UAE forces leave Yemen within 24 hours and warned that Saudi Arabia’s national security remains an inviolable “red line.” The UAE later said it would withdraw its remaining forces from the country.