Saudi Arabia has backed a demand from Yemen's presidential council for the United Arab Emirates to withdraw within 24 hours, after a Saudi-led coalition bombed what it said was a weapons shipment for UAE-backed separatists at the port of Mukalla.
The Saudi foreign ministry accused the UAE of pressuring the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which seeks independence for southern Yemen, to launch recent offensives in the eastern provinces of Hadramawt and al-Mahra.
The kingdom warned it would take measures to confront what it considered such highly dangerous actions.
The UAE's foreign ministry denied that the shipment contained weapons and expressed deep regret at the Saudi statement.
It strongly condemned the allegations that it exerted pressure on, or directed, any Yemeni party to carry out military operations that would undermine the security of the sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia or target its borders.
The STC's leaders maintained that the ultimatum for the withdrawal of the UAE's forces had no legal basis, insisting they would remain a main partner in the battle against the Iran-backed Houthi movement, which controls much of north-western Yemen.
Earlier on Monday, the head of the eight-member presidential council - including STC representatives - announced the cancellation of a joint defense pact with the UAE and ordered its forces to leave in the interest of safeguarding the security of all citizens, affirming commitment to Yemen's unity, sovereignty, stability, and territorial integrity.
Rashad al-Alimi also declared a state of emergency for a period of 90 days, deemed necessary to confront the Houthis and what he described as internal strife led by mutinous military elements that received orders from the United Arab Emirates.
Alimi's announcement followed the spokesperson of the Saudi-led coalition's claim of a limited airstrike against weapons and military vehicles meant for the STC's forces, which purportedly arrived from the UAE.
The coalition stated that the shipments presented an imminent threat and an escalation that threatens peace and stability. An official at the port reported that a warning for evacuation was issued before the airstrike, which did not result in casualties but left several military vehicles damaged.
The UAE's foreign ministry expressed surprise at the strike and asserted that the shipments in question were not intended for any Yemeni party but for Emirati forces operating in Yemen.
The ongoing conflict in Yemen has led to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis and has involved complex alliances, with the STC, seeking independence for southern Yemen, previously allied with the government against the Houthis but now turning against it.
