UAE to withdraw forces from Yemen after Saudi strike and ultimatum
Decision to withdraw follows a Saudi strike on a UAE-linked weapons shipment for Yemen separatists
The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave within 24 hours, deepening a crisis between the two Gulf powers and oil producers.
Hours earlier, Saudi-led coalition forces had attacked the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla. The air strike on what Riyadh said was a UAE-linked weapons shipment was the most significant escalation to date in a widening rift between the two Gulf monarchies.
In Washington, the US State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with the Saudi and UAE foreign ministers about tensions in Yemen and other issues affecting security in the Middle East.
Several Gulf countries, including Kuwait and Bahrain, said they would support any efforts to bolster dialogue and reach a political solution. Qatar said the security of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries “constitutes an inseparable part” of its own security.
Once the twin pillars of regional security, the Gulf heavyweights have seen their interests diverge on everything from oil quotas to geopolitical influence.