The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have dismissed reports suggesting that they were engaged in discussions with the United States about a potential land offensive in Yemen against the Houthi rebel group.
A senior UAE official called the reports “wild unsubstantiated stories,” while a Saudi official source also refuted the claims. The reports emerged after media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, suggested that factions opposing the Houthis in Yemen were in talks with the U.S. and Gulf allies about launching a ground offensive along the Red Sea coast.
Lana Nusseibeh, UAE Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, responded to the reports by saying: “Among all the wild unsubstantiated stories going around, that one surely wins the misleading-news-of-the-week award, by a wide margin.”
The Wall Street Journal had reported on Monday that Yemeni factions were planning a ground attack along the Red Sea coast, potentially timed with U.S. airstrikes on Houthi positions. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that Yemeni forces opposed to the Iran-aligned Houthis were considering such a plan in coordination with the U.S. and Gulf partners.
The UAE was part of a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government against the Houthi rebels, who seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. While the UAE largely scaled back its military presence in Yemen in 2019, the conflict continued, and a truce was established in 2022 following peace talks, leaving the Houthis in control of large portions of the country.
The Houthis, aligned with Iran, escalated their activities in the Red Sea by attacking shipping lanes in late 2023, citing their support for Palestinians amid the Gaza war. In response, the U.S. ramped up airstrikes against the Houthis, warning of severe consequences if their attacks on shipping continued.
Saudi Arabia gradually reduced its involvement in Yemen’s war, shifting towards diplomacy with Iran, culminating in a 2022 truce and peace talks. However, the Houthi-controlled areas, including the strategic port city of Hodeidah, remain key flashpoints in the ongoing conflict.