Yemen clashes bring Saudi and UAE-backed forces into confrontation – BBC

Lead

On 2 December, fighting erupted in southern and eastern Yemen after the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched a major offensive that seized territory including parts of oil-rich Hadramawt province near the Saudi border. Saudi Arabia has accused UAE-backed forces of threatening its security and has called for a comprehensive “dialogue” in Riyadh to bring southern factions together, while the STC says its moves are meant to restore stability. The confrontations have included air strikes attributed to the Saudi-led coalition and at least one strike that STC officials said killed seven people. The clashes deepen a split between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, both long-time backers of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.

Key takeaways

• The STC mounted a large-scale offensive on 2 December, rapidly gaining ground in eastern and southern Yemen, including parts of Hadramawt province that border Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Arabia has publicly urged all southern factions to attend a “comprehensive conference” in Riyadh; Riyadh said the Yemeni government issued the invitation for talks.
• Coalition air strikes hit southern targets this week; STC officials reported seven fatalities in an air strike on an STC camp in Hadramawt.
• Tensions followed reports of two ships allegedly delivering equipment to separatists at Mukalla port; the UAE denied weapons were onboard and said vehicles were for Emirati forces.
• The head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, labelled the STC advances a “rebellion” and cancelled a joint defence treaty with the UAE, ordering foreign forces to withdraw.
• Humanitarian stakes are high: more than 19 million people in Yemen require assistance, and a 2021 UN estimate attributed some 377,000 conflict-related deaths, including about 259,000 children under five.
• Analysts note the rift reflects differing strategic priorities: Saudi security concerns along a 1,500 km border with Yemen versus the UAE’s focus on southern ports and proxy networks.

Background

Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi forces, supported politically by Iran according to many analysts, seized large parts of northern Yemen including Sanaa. In 2015 a Saudi-led coalition that included the United Arab Emirates intervened to try to restore the internationally recognised government. Over subsequent years the war fragmented into multiple fronts and competing local authorities.

In 2022 a Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) was formed to unite anti-Houthi factions under a single civilian leadership, but the coalition has always been a coalition of convenience rather than a unified command. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the UAE and dominant across much of the south, formally sits inside that coalition while continuing to press for southern autonomy or independence.

Recent de-escalation with the Houthis froze the northern front lines, but southern dynamics remained volatile. The STC’s growing control of key southern ports and territories increased its leverage and raised alarm in Riyadh, where officials view shifts on the border as direct national-security matters.

Main event

On 2 December the STC launched a fast-moving campaign in eastern Yemen, taking territory from government-aligned forces and consolidating control in several areas including Hadramawt province. The offensive alarmed Saudi officials because some captured areas lie adjacent to Saudi territory, prompting Riyadh to call the advances a cross-border security concern.

Following the ground offensive, air strikes attributed to the Saudi-led coalition struck STC-held positions. An STC official reported seven deaths in a strike on an STC military camp in Hadramawt; separate strikes hit the southern port city of Mukalla earlier in the week. Images circulated on social media showed burned vehicles after those strikes.

The coalition accused the UAE of delivering two ships of military equipment to the STC at Mukalla over the preceding weekend. The UAE denied that the shipments contained arms and said the vehicles were intended for Emirati forces operating in Yemen. Tensions escalated when the PLC head Rashad al-Alimi announced cancellation of a joint defence treaty with the UAE and ordered Emirati forces to leave within 24 hours.

Hours after the demand, the UAE unexpectedly agreed to withdraw its forces. Observers caution that the physical pullout may not change on-the-ground dynamics because the UAE has relied heavily on proxy networks and local partners rather than large conventional troop deployments since 2019.

Analysis & implications

The confrontation marks an unusual and politically risky rupture between two Gulf powers that have long coordinated in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have divergent strategic calculations: Riyadh prioritises securing a long, porous land border and preventing spillover, while Abu Dhabi has emphasised control of southern ports and limiting Islamist groups. Those conflicting aims have steered the two states toward backing rival local actors.

The immediate implications include heightened risk of broader fighting across southern provinces and disruption of commercial and humanitarian access. Hadramawt contains oil and port infrastructure; sustained clashes would threaten exports, receipts and relief deliveries at a time when more than 19 million people need assistance.

Diplomatically, Riyadh’s call for a Riyadh conference attempts to reassert Saudi mediation and contain the crisis politically, but success depends on bargaining power and whether the STC will accept terms that constrain its independence ambitions. The PLC’s cancellation of the defence pact with the UAE signals a formal hardening of relations that could complicate any negotiated settlement.

Regionally, a direct Saudi–UAE confrontation inside Yemen would be destabilising. Analysts warn that arms, proxy networks and air power on both sides create the conditions for escalation even if both capitals aim to avoid open interstate war. International actors will face pressure to push for rapid de-escalation while protecting humanitarian operations.

Comparison & data

These figures illustrate the pre-existing humanitarian toll in Yemen and the acute local impacts from recent strikes. The UN estimate of 377,000 excess deaths covers direct and indirect consequences through 2021 and remains a frequently cited baseline for the conflict’s human cost. Local casualty tallies from recent engagements are partial and may be revised as access and verification improve.

Reactions & quotes

Yemeni leadership and GCC capitals responded swiftly, framing the clashes through competing security narratives. The PLC leader described the STC advance as illegitimate and a threat to national unity; the STC publicly reaffirmed its goal of southern self-determination.

“This is a rebellion that threatens to fracture the state,”

Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council

Al-Alimi’s statement accompanied the PLC decision to cancel a defence treaty with the UAE and demand Emirati withdrawals, signalling a formal diplomatic break. The PLC and Saudi officials framed the moves as necessary to preserve Yemen’s territorial integrity and national security.

“Our intentions have always been clear: to establish an independent state. It is the right of the south to choose its fate,”

Anwar al-Tamimi, STC spokesperson

The STC’s spokesman linked the offensive to longstanding southern aspirations. STC leaders argue their control will bring stability and reject claims that an independent south would threaten neighbouring states with terrorism.

“The UAE’s role has been based largely on partnerships and local proxy networks rather than large troop deployments,”

Farea al-Muslimi, researcher, Chatham House (paraphrase)

Analysts emphasise that a unilateral Emirati withdrawal would not necessarily end the STC’s operational capacity because of those established networks.

Unconfirmed

• Whether the two ships reported at Mukalla carried weapons remains contested; the UAE denies arms were on board and independent verification is incomplete.
• Attribution of all recent air strikes to Saudi-led coalition forces is reported by local officials and social media but may require further independent confirmation.
• The precise on-the-ground role and extent of Emirati special forces versus local proxies after any announced withdrawal are unclear and subject to differing accounts.

Bottom line

The December offensive by the STC and ensuing strikes have opened a dangerous rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE inside a war-torn Yemen. What began as competing local and proxy alignments risks becoming a direct confrontation between two Gulf powers, with immediate implications for border security, humanitarian access and regional stability.

Diplomatic pressure—centered on Riyadh’s call for talks—will be decisive in the coming days. But analysts warn that deep strategic differences and entrenched local networks mean a single conference may not be enough to reverse recent shifts on the ground. International actors face a narrow window to broker de-escalation while sustaining aid flows to millions of Yemenis in need.

Sources

• BBC News — news report summarising recent clashes and statements (source provided by user).
• UN OCHA — Yemen — UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, humanitarian needs and mortality estimates (official UN data).
• Chatham House — Farea al-Muslimi — expert commentary and analysis from a think-tank researcher (academic/think-tank).