Gulf rift deepens as Saudi Arabia targets UAE-backed faction in Yemen
A significant escalation in intra-Gulf tensions was reported as Saudi Arabia conducted strikes against a faction in Yemen known to be backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This military action, which was reported by the Financial Times on Saturday, December 27, 2025, marks a serious deepening of the existing rift among the Gulf states. The conflict in Yemen has long served as a proxy battleground for regional powers, but direct Saudi action against a known UAE ally indicates a shift towards more direct confrontation within the coalition that once nominally fought together against the Houthi movement.
The strikes highlight the increasingly divergent strategic interests of Riyadh and Abu Dhabi in the region. While both nations were core members of the coalition intervening in Yemen, their goals regarding post-conflict governance and influence in southern Yemen have become severely incompatible. The UAE has historically supported various southern separatist groups, which often clash with groups aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government that Saudi Arabia nominally backs. This friction has simmered for years, occasionally erupting into localized skirmishes, but the report of Saudi strikes on a UAE-backed entity signifies a major and dangerous public fracturing of the Gulf alliance, raising concerns about regional stability and military coordination.
Experts suggest that this escalation is tied to the broader geopolitical maneuvering occurring in the Middle East, where former allies are increasingly competing for dominance and influence. The deepening rift poses significant challenges to resolving the multi-faceted conflict in Yemen, as humanitarian efforts and peace initiatives become complicated by the internal strife among external actors. The Financial Times detailed the development, noting that the Saudi strikes occurred early Saturday morning, signaling an urgent and forceful move by Riyadh to assert its strategic red lines within the Yemeni theater and potentially restructure the internal power dynamics among the anti-Houthi forces. This development guarantees that regional stability in the Gulf remains volatile and subject to further rapid shifts in alliance structure and military engagement.