Saudi Arabia slams UAE's backing of STC in Yemen as a 'red line' and national security threat

Saudi Arabia has said the UAE's support for the separatist Southern Transitional Council's (STC) offensive in Yemen is a threat to it and regional security and called for it to respond positively to the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council's demand to withdraw its forces from Yemen within 24 hours.

The UAE's actions in Yemen "constitute a threat to the Kingdom's national security, as well as to security and stability in the Republic of Yemen and the region," read a statement by the Saudi foreign ministry published online on Tuesday, which added that the "steps taken by the brotherly United Arab Emirates are extremely dangerous.”

“The Kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line, and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralise any such threat.”

The statement came as the Saudi-led coalition said it targeted a large quantity of weapons and combat vehicles destined for Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces that were being offloaded from ships at Mukalla port in Yemen.

According to the Saudi-led coalition, the ships came from the UAE port of Fujairah and entered the port of Mukalla on December 27-28.

Meanwhile, Yemen's presidential council ordered all forces of the UAE to leave the country within 24 hours and cancelled a security pact with Abu Dhabi as tensions rose in the years-long infighting in which regional powers back different factions.

Saudi Arabia said the UAE must cease military or financial support to any party.

“The Kingdom stresses the importance that the brotherly United Arab Emirates accept the Republic of Yemen’s request for all its forces to leave the Republic of Yemen within twenty-four hours and halt any military or financial support to any party within Yemen.”

The UAE-backed STC, which seeks to revive the formerly independent state of South Yemen, has in recent weeks swept through swathes of the country, expelling government forces and their allies.

Tensions escalated after the STC took control of the Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces in December after clashes with government forces.

Yemen’s presidential council government is a patchwork of groups that also includes STC members and is held together by shared opposition to the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis pushed the government forces out of Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and secured control over most of the north.