Stories
White House Urges Saudi Arabia, UAE to Bridge Rift as Houthis Gain Ground in Yemen
- •The White House has privately urged Saudi Arabia and the UAE to set aside their differences and cooperate against the Iran-aligned Houthis in Yemen, following significant Houthi gains along Yemen’s western coast and near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.
- •Proposed cooperation could include a unified military command involving the UAE-trained Southern Giants Brigades, which are considered well-equipped but have separatist ambitions.
- •Relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi deteriorated after Saudi-backed forces defeated the UAE-aligned Southern Transitional Council (STC) earlier this year, leading to the UAE's withdrawal from Yemen.
- •A meeting in Abu Dhabi reportedly discussed Yemen, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offering help to Saudi Arabia against the Houthis, adding complexity to the situation.
- •Saudi Arabia remains reluctant to openly cooperate with Israel and fears that empowering southern separatists could deepen Yemen’s division and strengthen Houthi control in the north.
Key Questions Answered
The White House privately urged Saudi Arabia and the UAE to set aside their differences and coordinate against the Iran-aligned Houthis after a Houthi offensive secured significant territorial gains along Yemen's western coast and near the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.
Relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi deteriorated sharply after Saudi-backed forces defeated the UAE-aligned Southern Transitional Council earlier in the year, which subsequently led to the UAE withdrawing from Yemen.
Former Yemeni officials noted that the UAE-trained Southern Giants Brigades are among the better-equipped forces capable of helping contain the Houthi advance, though the Southern Transitional Council has opposed merging them with government troops due to separatist concerns.
