Arab Coalition Targets Weapons at Yemen’s Mukalla Port, Riyadh Disappointed by UAE Actions
The Saudi-led Arab Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen launched a limited airstrike targeting weapons shipments transported to Mukalla port in Yemen’s eastern province of Hadramout, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Furthermore, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing disappointment over the recent actions by the UAE in eastern Yemen, which pose a threat to the Kingdom’s national security.
Neutralizing Illicit Weapons Shipments
In a statement on Tuesday, the Coalition’s official spokesperson, Major General Turki Al-Malki, said that two vessels coming from the Port of Fujairah in the UAE arrived at the Port of Mukalla in Yemen’s Hadramout without obtaining permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition.
Al-Malki added that the two ships’ crew had disabled the tracking systems and unloaded a large amount of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) forces in Hadramout and Mahrah provinces in eastern Yemen.
“These actions constitute flagrant violations of the de-escalation measures and efforts to reach a peaceful solution, as well as a breach of the UNSCR 2216 (2015),” Al-Malki said.
Limited Strike
The Coalition forces acted upon a request by the president of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in Yemen to take all necessary military measures to protect civilians in Hadramout and Mahrah provinces, according to Al-Malki.
“Given that the aforementioned weapons constitute an imminent threat and an escalation that threatens peace and stability, the Coalition Air Force has conducted this morning a limited airstrike that targeted weapons and military vehicles offloaded from the two vessels in Mukalla Port,” Al-Malki announced.
اللواء المالكي: استنادًا لطلب فخامة رئيس مجلس القيادة الرئاسي اليمني لقوات التحالف باتخاذ كافة التدابير العسكرية اللازمة لحماية المدنيين بمحافظتي (حضرموت والمهرة)، ولما تشكله هذه الأسلحة من خطورة وتصعيد يهدد الأمن والاستقرار، فقد قامت قوات التحالف الجوية صباح اليوم بتنفيذ عملية… pic.twitter.com/CqZ8tHwf2N
— واس العام (@SPAregions) December 30, 2025
He noted that the airstrike was conducted after close surveillance and documentation of the cargo, in accordance with the Customary International Humanitarian Law, and in a manner that ensures no collateral damage.
Maintaining De-escalation Efforts
Importantly, the Coalition’s spokesperson said that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will continue de-escalation efforts in Hadramout and Mahra, maintaining its “blocking of any and all military support from whichever country that does so without coordinating with the legitimate Yemeni Government and the Coalition.”
He added that this aims to ensure the success of the Kingdom and Coalition’s efforts to achieve security and stability, and prevent further expansion of the conflict.
UAE Actions in Yemen
Following the airstrike, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing the Kingdom’s disappointment by the UAE actions, including “pressuring the STC forces to conduct military operations on the southern borders of the Kingdom in the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra.”
The statement noted that these actions constitute a “threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security, and the security and stability of Yemen and the region.”
“The steps taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous, inconsistent with the principles upon which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was established, and do not serve the coalition’s purpose of achieving security and stability for Yemen,” it added.
Saudi Arabia’s Red Line
In the light of this, the statement clearly stated Saudi Arabia’s position that “any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralize any such threat.”
Moreover, the Kingdom reaffirmed “its commitment to the security, stability, and sovereignty of Yemen,” reiterating its full support to the President of the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government.
#Statement | Pursuant to the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 25/12/2025 corresponding to 5/7/1447 regarding the Kingdom’s concerted efforts, working with the brotherly United Arab Emirates, to end and contain the escalatory steps taken by the Southern… pic.twitter.com/lTyU0gLgpf
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) December 30, 2025
The statement also said that Saudi Arabia “reaffirms that the Southern cause is a just cause that has historical and social dimensions, and that the only path to resolve it is through dialogue within a comprehensive political solution in Yemen, and among all Yemeni parties including the Southern Transitional Council.”
Importantly, the statement stressed the importance of the UAE accepting Yemen’s request for “all its forces to leave the Republic of Yemen within twenty four hours, and halt any military or financial support to any party within Yemen.”
STC Unilateral Moves
Earlier in December, the STC forces carried out unilateral military actions to expand its presence in eastern Yemen, seizing strategic sites in Hadramout and Mahra, and pushing the internationally recognized government from its headquarters in Aden.
In response, Saudi Arabia called on the STC to immediately withdraw its forces from the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, describing the recent unilateral military actions as an “unjustified escalation” that threatens regional stability.
Firm Saudi Warnings
Moreover, the Saudi Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, called on the STC to withdraw its forces from Hadramout and Mahra and hand over power to the Nation Shield Forces and local authorities, stressing that the southern issue is a just political cause that cannot be ignored.
Similarly, the Arab Coalition warned that any military movements undermining de-escalation efforts in Hadramout and Mahra will be countered to protect civilians, reiterating its support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and urging all parties to exercise restraint and respond to peaceful solutions to preserve security and stability.
