Tue Dec 30 06:26:18 UTC 2025: ## Saudi-led Coalition Strikes Yemen Port, Accuses Foreign Powers of Arming Separatists

Mukalla, Yemen – The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched a targeted airstrike on Mukalla port early Tuesday, claiming foreign-backed vessels were delivering weapons to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group seeking autonomy in southern Yemen.

According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the coalition targeted unloaded weapons and vehicles at the port. Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki stated that two ships entered the port without authorization over the weekend, disabling their tracking systems and unloading a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles allegedly intended to support the STC.

The strike follows a warning from the coalition to the STC against military action in Hadramout province. Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud has called on the STC to “peacefully hand over” two regional governorates to the Yemeni government.

Adding to the tension, Yemeni Presidential Council head Rashad al-Alimi demanded that all United Arab Emirates (UAE) forces leave Yemen within 24 hours following the airstrike. The STC has previously received support from the UAE.

Sources on the ground confirmed the strike targeted the specific dock where the cargo had been unloaded. The coalition maintains that there were no casualties or collateral damage and that the operation was conducted in accordance with international humanitarian law.

The incident comes amidst heightened tensions after a recent STC offensive against Yemeni government troops backed by the Saudi-led coalition. The STC, initially a member of the coalition against the Houthi rebels, later pursued self-rule in southern Yemen and currently controls southern territories under a Saudi-backed power-sharing arrangement.

The United States has urged restraint and diplomacy. Senator Marco Rubio called for “restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution” in the conflict.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to fight the Houthi rebels. This latest strike signals a potential shift in dynamics, with the coalition now targeting groups previously allied with them against the Houthis, raising concerns about escalating conflict and regional instability.

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