Saudi Arabia bombed the port city of Mukalla in Yemen, accusing southern separatists of receiving a shipment of weapons from the United Arab Emirates.

The conflict in Yemen enters a new phase of tensions, after Saudi Arabia conducted airstrikes on the port city of Mukalla, suspecting that southern separatists received a significant shipment of weapons from the United Arab Emirates. The attack, which took place on Tuesday, is an escalation of tensions between Riyadh and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), supported by the Emirates. Saudi Arabia stated that the airstrikes were carried out to neutralize an imminent threat, after two ships from Fujairah unloaded weapons and combat vehicles in support of the STC. Following the attack, the Yemeni government declared a state of emergency for a period of three months and imposed a maritime, aerial, and land blockade for 72 hours. Relations between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which have supported rival factions in the Yemen war, are tense, and analysts predict an escalation of the conflict, with the STC strengthening its control in the region.