UAE announces withdrawal of forces from Yemen amid tension with Saudi Arabia

• The UAE Ministry of Defense announces the move on X post.
• The UAE ministry says it had limited forces in Yemen.
• It says the decision was made after a comprehensive assessment.
  

The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday that it had voluntarily ended the mission of its anti-terrorist units in Yemen, according to the state news agency. WAM was mentioned.

It said the decision was taken after a comprehensive assessment following recent developments.

The Ministry of Defense also shared its statement in Arabic on X, saying the decision was taken after considering recent developments and potential risks to the security and effectiveness of its counter-terrorism missions.

The ministry said its presence in the country was “limited to specialized personnel as part of counter-terrorism efforts, in coordination with relevant international partners.”

The announcement comes after the Saudi-led coalition carried out an airstrike on the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla, striking what it described as foreign military support for the UAE-backed southern separatists.

Saudi Arabia also backed a call for UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours.

The United Arab Emirates has been part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi movement in Yemen since 2015. In 2019, it began withdrawing its troops from the country, but remained committed to the internationally recognized Saudi-backed government.

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) later decided to seek self-rule in the south and this month launched a surprise offensive against Saudi-backed Yemeni government troops.

The advance broke years of stalemate, with the STC claiming broad control of the south. Saudi Arabia had warned the STC of military moves in the eastern border province of Hadramout and demanded the withdrawal of its forces. The STC rejected Saudi Arabia’s call.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Saudi counterpart, Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, about the ongoing tensions in Yemen and regional security, the State Department said.

No casualties in the strike

The coalition said the attack on the Mukalla port caused no casualties or collateral damage, according to Saudi state media.

Two sources told Reuters the strike targeted the dock where the two ships’ cargo was unloaded.

Footage on Yemeni state television showed black smoke rising from the port early in the morning after the strike, with burning vehicles in the port.

UAE-backed forces control large swathes of land in the south, including the strategically important province of Hadramout.

The head of Yemen’s presidential council, Alimi, imposed a no-fly zone and a sea and land embargo on all ports and crossings for 72 hours, except for exceptions approved by the coalition.

Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia and has cultural and historical ties with it. Many prominent Saudis trace their origins to the region.

As of 2022, the STC is part of an alliance that controls southern areas outside Houthi control, as part of a Saudi-backed power-sharing initiative.

The Houthis control the northern region, including Sanaa, the capital.

“We will continue to prevent any military support from any country to any Yemeni faction without coordination with the legitimate government,” the coalition added.

Earlier, the head of Yemen’s presidential council asked UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours.

The head of Yemen’s presidential council, Rashad al-Alimi, also canceled a defense deal with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen’s state news agency reported, and complained about the UAE’s support for the STC.

“Unfortunately, it has been conclusively confirmed that the UAE pressured and led the STC to undermine and rebel against state authority through military escalation,” he added.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said it was disappointed by Saudi Arabia’s statement on Yemen and surprised by the airstrike.

The ministry said the cargo, which was hit in the airstrike, did not contain weapons.

The unloaded vehicles were not intended for any Yemeni party, but were sent for use by UAE forces operating in Yemen, he added.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are both major players in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil exporting group, and any disagreements between the two could prevent consensus on oil production decisions.

They and six other OPEC+ members are meeting online on Sunday, and OPEC+ representatives say they will continue their current policy with no change in first-quarter output.