Saudi Arabia Reveals Bombing Campaign Details in Yemen as Tensions with UAE Escalate Over Separatist Support
Sana'a, Yemen – Saudi Arabia has publicly disclosed operational details of its ongoing bombing campaign against Houthi targets in Yemen, coinciding with heightened frictions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which announced plans to withdraw its forces from the region. The revelations, emerging on December 31, 2025, have intensified accusations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi over alleged support for southern separatist groups, threatening to fracture the decade-old Saudi-led coalition against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The escalation underscores deepening rifts within the anti-Houthi alliance formed in 2015. Saudi state media outlets detailed precision strikes targeting Houthi military infrastructure, including missile storage sites and command centers in northern Yemen, as part of efforts to counter drone and ballistic missile attacks on Saudi territory. These disclosures come amid reports of UAE preparations to pull back troops from key southern provinces like Aden and Abyan, where Emirati forces have been stationed since 2016.
Tensions boiled over with mutual recriminations. Saudi officials accused the UAE of bolstering the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist entity seeking independence for South Yemen, thereby undermining the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government led by President Rashad al-Alimi. In response, UAE representatives denied direct involvement but emphasized their focus on counterterrorism and stabilizing southern Yemen against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Houthi incursions. "The UAE's contributions have been pivotal in securing the south, and any withdrawal will be calibrated to ensure stability," a UAE foreign ministry spokesperson stated in a recent briefing.
This public spat marks a significant deterioration in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unity. The Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, launched in March 2015 under Operation Decisive Storm, aimed to restore the internationally recognized government ousted by the Iran-backed Houthis. The UAE joined as a key partner, providing ground troops and special forces that captured strategic ports and oil fields. However, divergences emerged by 2019, when UAE-backed STC forces seized Aden from pro-Saudi troops, leading to the 2019 Riyadh Agreement—a fragile truce that has since unraveled.
Background: A Decade of Protracted Conflict
Yemen's war, now over a decade old, remains one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, as highlighted in the UNHCR's Yemen Protection Brief for 2025, released on January 7, 2026. The UN agency describes a nation grappling with compounded shocks: ongoing armed conflict, climate-induced disasters like flooding and droughts, economic collapse, and the near-total breakdown of public services. More than 18 million Yemenis—over half the population—require humanitarian aid, with displacement affecting 4.5 million people internally.
The brief notes persistent protection risks, including civilian casualties from airstrikes, indiscriminate shelling, and explosive remnants of war. Houthi-controlled areas in the north face severe restrictions on movement and access to services, while government-held south endures factional fighting between pro-government forces and STC militias. Economic woes exacerbate vulnerabilities, with Yemen's currency depreciating sharply and food insecurity affecting 17 million people.
Saudi Arabia's air campaign, involving thousands of strikes, has been criticized by human rights groups for civilian tolls, though Riyadh maintains strict adherence to international law. The Houthis, designated a terrorist group by multiple nations, continue cross-border attacks, prompting Saudi disclosures possibly as a signal of resolve amid coalition strains.
Fractured Coalition and Regional Implications
The UAE's planned withdrawal, first telegraphed in 2020 but now accelerating, reflects a strategic pivot. Abu Dhabi has shifted focus to domestic development and Horn of Africa engagements, reducing its Yemen footprint to advisors and private security contractors. Analysts view this as a pragmatic exit from a quagmire costing billions and lives, but it risks a power vacuum exploitable by Houthis or Islamists.
Saudi Arabia, bearing the brunt of aerial operations, faces mounting domestic pressure to end the war. Riyadh has pursued ceasefires, including a UN-brokered truce in 2022 that held intermittently, but Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping—linked to solidarity with Gaza—have reignited hostilities. The kingdom's revelations may aim to deter Iran, the Houthis' primary backer, while pressuring the UAE to honor coalition commitments.
International mediators, including the United States and Oman, have urged de-escalation. The U.S., under recent administrations, has provided logistical support to Saudi operations while pushing for diplomacy. A UN Security Council resolution from 2024 renewed calls for Houthi demilitarization and inclusive talks.
Outlook Amid Humanitarian Despair
As fractures widen, Yemen's civilians bear the cost. The UNHCR brief warns of deteriorating protection environments, with over 377,000 forcibly displaced in 2025 alone due to clashes in Marib, Taiz, and Shabwa. Aid access remains hampered, with 90% of food imported through vulnerable ports.
Prospects for resolution hinge on GCC reconciliation and renewed peace talks. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has signaled interest in economic incentives for Houthis, while UAE influence in the south could stabilize or inflame separatist bids. Without unified action, the conflict—already claiming over 377,000 lives directly and indirectly, per UN estimates—risks further balkanization.
The World Now will continue monitoring developments in this high-severity crisis.
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