Saudi Arabia Bombs Yemen's Mukalla Over Alleged UAE Weapons Shipment to STC
On December 30, 2025, Saudi Arabia conducted an airstrike on Mukalla, a port city in Yemen's Hadramout region, targeting a shipment of weapons allegedly destined for the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).
The strike followed the unloading of weapons and combat vehicles by ships from Fujairah, UAE, at Mukalla port. One vessel, identified as the Greenland, a Ro-Ro flagged to St Kitts, arrived in Mukalla on December 28 after departing Fujairah on December 22. Another vessel involved could not be identified.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, these ships had disabled their tracking devices and delivered a large cache of weapons and combat vehicles intended to support the STC. Saudi Arabia claimed the weapons posed an imminent threat and stated the strike aimed to counter it while avoiding collateral damage. No casualties have been confirmed.
The UAE has not immediately responded to these reports. The STC's AIC satellite channel acknowledged the strikes but did not provide additional details.
This attack signifies a new escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE-backed STC, further complicating the rivalry between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, who support opposing sides in Yemen's war.
Mukalla and the wider Hadramout region had recently witnessed STC gains, with the council seizing control of Hadramout and pushing out forces affiliated with the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces.
Saudi Arabia's control over Yemeni airspace may facilitate efforts to restrict the flow of weapons from the UAE to the STC following this port attack.
The strikes come after a separate Saudi air campaign on the preceding Friday, which served as a warning to the STC to halt their advances and withdraw from Hadramout and the Mahra region.
