The UAE and Saudi Arabia have denied reports of talks with the U.S. over a potential ground offensive in Yemen, dismissing the claims as false and unsubstantiated amid ongoing tensions with the Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
A senior UAE official strongly rejected the reports, describing them as baseless, while a Saudi source similarly dismissed the claims as false.
The denials follow a Wall Street Journal report earlier this week alleging that Yemeni factions were planning an offensive along the Red Sea coast to capitalize on recent U.S. airstrikes targeting the Houthis. The report also suggested that the UAE had raised this plan with American officials. Bloomberg later reported that anti-Houthi Yemeni forces were engaged in discussions with the U.S. and Gulf allies about a possible ground operation.
Responding to the reports, Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, told Reuters, “Among all the wild unsubstantiated stories going around, that one surely wins the misleading-news-of-the-week award, by a wide margin.”
The Pentagon has not yet commented on the matter.
The UAE was a key member of the Saudi-led coalition that launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthis, who had taken control of the capital, Sanaa, the previous year. The UAE largely withdrew its forces in 2019, and major hostilities subsided following a truce and peace talks in 2022. Since then, the Houthis have retained control over significant territory and much of Yemen's population.
The Houthi movement, aligned with Iran and staunchly opposed to Israel, began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in November 2023, claiming it was in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza conflict. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump escalated airstrikes in March, warning the group of severe consequences if the attacks continued.
Despite years of military pressure, including sustained airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, the Houthis have maintained their positions on the front lines. The Red Sea coast, the focus of the reported offensive, was previously the site of a major but ultimately unsuccessful attempt by coalition forces to seize the strategic port of Hodeidah from Houthi control.
Coalition efforts in Yemen have long been complicated by internal divisions among Yemeni factions, including Sunni Islamist groups and southern separatists. Analysts note that Saudi Arabia and the UAE backed different factions during the conflict.
Saudi Arabia began scaling back its involvement in Yemen after the 2022 ceasefire, which preceded its broader diplomatic thaw with Iran.
Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell to its lowest level in months on Sunday after Yemen's Houthi movement attacked Saudi oil facilities...
The chief executive of a Turkish defence company has said the United States has approved the export of GE F110 engines for Türkiye’s KAAN fighter j...
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to 3,200, including 1,405 deaths, according to government data relea...
Russian authorities said 11 people, including four children, had been killed by Ukraine in an overnight attack on a holiday camp, accusing Kyiv on Saturday of deliberately targeting civilians.
Iran will halt its own attacks as long as the United States maintains its pause on strikes, but Tehran remains sceptical of U.S. intentions, a senior Iranian source told on Sunday.
Ship traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait fell to its lowest level in months on Sunday after Yemen's Houthi movement attacked Saudi oil facilities along the Red Sea coast, while vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz also remained subdued despite a pause in U.S.-Iran tensions.
Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called on Saturday for Russia and Ukraine to freeze the conflict and return to peace talks, saying a negotiated settlement remained possible despite the entrenched positions of both sides.
Marvel Studios used its return to San Diego Comic-Con to reveal several major projects, including a new Ghost Rider film starring Ryan Gosling and the long-awaited Black Panther 3.
The chief executive of a Turkish defence company has said the United States has approved the export of GE F110 engines for Türkiye’s KAAN fighter jet, although Washington has yet to confirm the move.
Kazakhstan has resumed oil exports through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after drone attacks disrupted operations at its Black Sea terminal, restoring the route that carries most of the country’s crude exports.
Uzbekistan has pledged to buy 100,000 tonnes of Afghan cotton and expand trade, transport and investment cooperation during a high-level visit to Kabul led by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojaev on Sunday.
Georgia has opened a new technology hub in Kutaisi, transforming the former parliament building into what officials say is the country's largest innovation and startup facility.
Pakistan's monsoon death toll has risen to 107 after another 10 people were killed in rain-related incidents, as authorities warned that a fresh spell of heavy rainfall is expected later this week.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment