Saudi and UAE Forces Clash in Escalating Yemen Conflict

Conflict Escalates in Yemen

The Saudi Foreign Ministry has urged southern Yemen groups to participate in a "dialogue" in Riyadh following a dramatic turn of events that has led to an unprecedented direct confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Both Gulf powers have intervened to support the internationally recognized Yemeni government in a long-standing civil war; however, a fracture in their alliance has led to support for rival groups on the ground. One group is now aiming to declare independence for a separate state in southern Yemen.

On Friday, UAE-backed forces declared that a "war" had begun, accusing Saudi-supported ground forces of launching an attack alongside airstrikes from Saudi aviation. The Saudi Ministry has called for a "comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all factions from the south to discuss equitable solutions to southern causes." Riyadh noted that the Yemeni government had issued an invitation for discussions.

The civil war in Yemen erupted in 2014, plunging the impoverished country into a decade of deadly violence and one of the world's worst hunger crises. At the beginning of the war, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement took control of most of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. The conflict intensified in 2015 when a coalition of Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, launched a military campaign to restore government authority.

Recently, the conflict had de-escalated with a temporary halt to hostilities and a freeze of frontline positions. However, the Saudi-supported governing coalition—the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), formed in 2022 to unite various anti-Houthi factions—has begun to unravel, with most of southern Yemen now under the control of UAE-backed separatists.

On December 2, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) launched a wide-ranging military offensive in the eastern part of the country, quickly seizing control of territory from government forces. The STC's advance included the resource-rich Hadramawt province. Tensions escalated with airstrikes from the Saudi-led coalition, resulting in an increasing number of casualties.