Strike on the Port of Mukalla Deepens Rift Within the Anti-Houthi Coalition

The strike on the port of Mukalla in southern Yemen has exposed vulnerabilities in the architecture of military and political control over the country. While the formal justification was information about covert arms deliveries, the episode points to deeper risks associated with competition among external actors and their local allies.

According to the Saudi-led coalition, two vessels arrived at the port after departing from the Emirati port of Fujairah and disabling their tracking systems. The ships entered Mukalla without coordination and allegedly delivered heavy and medium weapons. The recipient was named as the Southern Transitional Council, a structure that controls parts of southern Yemen and is supported by the United Arab Emirates.

The broader conflict context makes this episode particularly sensitive. Saudi Arabia officially supports Yemen’s internationally recognized government and insists that any military supplies must pass through agreed channels. The Southern Transitional Council, despite participation in formal agreements, remains a de facto autonomous power center competing with structures backed by Riyadh.

The logic behind the strike on the port is not limited to preventing arms shipments but also serves as a demonstration of control. The Saudi-led coalition signals that it does not recognize parallel supply chains and is unwilling to tolerate the strengthening of armed groups outside its political line. This turns Mukalla from a logistical hub into a focal point of competing interests within a formally unified camp.

The consequences of the incident extend beyond a localized strike. Reports of panic in the port area and the departure of some Emirati officers indicate rising tensions among allies. For southern Yemen, this means additional instability; for the conflict as a whole, weakened coordination among forces that nominally oppose the same adversaries.

At the same time, uncertainty remains on several key issues. The scale of the damage has not been disclosed, there is no independent confirmation of the cargo’s contents or the status of the delivered weapons, and it is unclear whether the incident will lead to a revision of arrangements between Saudi Arabia and the UAE or remain a one-off act of pressure. However, the very fact of a strike on an объект linked to allies shows how fragile the balance of power in Yemen remains.