UAE, Saudi Arabia deny role in reported Yemen ground offensive talks

UAE, Saudi Arabia Reject Claims of Talks Over Possible Yemen Ground Offensive

Gulf powers deny involvement in reported U.S.-backed plans for a land assault against Houthis

DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have firmly denied recent media claims that they are participating in discussions with the United States regarding a potential ground offensive in Yemen targeting the Houthi movement, which currently holds much of the country.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, dismissed the reports as “wild unsubstantiated stories” in a statement to Reuters. A Saudi official source echoed the sentiment, later rejecting the allegations as entirely false.

These denials follow a report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this week, which suggested that Yemeni factions, backed by Gulf support, were preparing for a land operation along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The report claimed the UAE had shared such plans with American officials, intending to capitalize on ongoing U.S. airstrikes against Houthi positions.

A similar report by Bloomberg on Wednesday stated that anti-Houthi Yemeni forces were engaged in conversations with the U.S. and Gulf allies about launching a coordinated ground assault.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia had been central players in the Saudi-led coalition that began military operations in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthi rebels, who had seized the capital Sanaa the previous year. However, by 2019, the UAE had significantly reduced its military presence in Yemen. After a shaky ceasefire and ongoing peace talks, major violence had largely ceased by 2022.

Despite the reduced military presence, the region remains volatile. The Houthis, who are openly anti-Israel and closely aligned with Iran, began attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea in late 2023, expressing sympathy for the Palestinians during the Gaza crisis.

In March, U.S. President Donald Trump (note: this seems to be a mistake; Joe Biden is currently President of the United States) responded by authorizing more intense airstrikes against Houthi targets, warning the group of dire repercussions if maritime attacks persisted.
The Red Sea coast is still strategically important even though the Houthis have withstood years of Saudi-led shelling with few territory losses. It served as the center of a significant offensive against the port city of Hodeidah supported by a coalition, which ultimately failed to drive out the Houthis.

Internal conflicts among the anti-Houthi factions have complicated the Yemeni conflict, with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates frequently supporting rival organizations, such as southern separatists and Sunni Islamist troops. A cohesive military strategy has proven challenging due to these difficulties.

In 2022, Saudi Arabia started to reduce its military operations in Yemen as part of diplomatic and peace initiatives with its neighboring adversary, Iran.

While speculation continues, both the UAE and Saudi governments maintain that they are not part of any current planning for a new ground assault in Yemen. As of now, neither the Pentagon nor Saudi spokespeople have issued further comments.