DUBAI – On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia launched an airstrike on Yemen’s port city of Mukalla, targeting a consignment of arms intended for a separatist group supported by the United Arab Emirates.

This military action represents a significant intensification in the ongoing discord between Saudi Arabia and the Southern Transitional Council, a faction backed by the UAE. The incident further complicates the already fraught relationship between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who have historically supported opposing factions in Yemen’s protracted conflict against the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels.

A statement from the Saudi Press Agency, which is government-operated, detailed the airstrikes, indicating that they followed the arrival of vessels from Fujairah, a port situated on the UAE’s eastern shoreline.

“Due to the imminent threat and rising tensions these weapons present, potentially undermining security and stability, the Coalition Air Forces executed a focused military operation this morning. The target was the arms and military vehicles offloaded from the two ships at al-Mukalla port,” the statement declared.

The UAE has yet to issue a response regarding the incident.