By The South Asia Times 

Riyadh — Saudi Arabia has issued a strongly worded warning to the United Arab Emirates, expressing deep disappointment over what it described as destabilizing actions in Yemen that threaten the Kingdom’s national security and regional stability.

In a statement released by the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom said it had been working closely with the UAE to contain escalating moves by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen’s Hadramout and Al-Mahara governorates. However, Riyadh noted that recent developments had undermined these efforts.

The statement referred to reports by the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen regarding the movement of ships carrying weapons and armored vehicles from the UAE’s Al-Fujairah port to Al-Mukalla without official approval from the Coalition’s Joint Forces Command.

Saudi Arabia said it was particularly concerned by what it described as UAE pressure on STC forces to conduct military operations near the Kingdom’s southern borders, calling such actions a direct threat to Saudi national security as well as to Yemen’s stability.

“These steps are highly dangerous and inconsistent with the principles upon which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen was established,” the statement said, adding that they do not serve the coalition’s objective of restoring security and stability in Yemen.

Riyadh stressed that any threat to its national security is a “red line,” warning that it would not hesitate to take all necessary measures to confront and neutralize such threats.

The Kingdom reaffirmed its full support for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and the internationally recognized government, while reiterating its view that the southern issue is a just cause that can only be resolved through inclusive dialogue within a comprehensive political settlement involving all Yemeni parties, including the STC.

Saudi Arabia also urged the UAE to comply with Yemen’s request for all foreign forces to leave the country within 24 hours and to halt all military and financial support to Yemeni factions.

Concluding the statement, Riyadh expressed hope that wisdom, brotherhood, good neighborly relations, and Gulf Cooperation Council unity would prevail, and that the UAE would take steps to preserve and strengthen bilateral ties in the interest of regional peace and stability.