Arab League Warns Against Escalation in Yemen, Reaffirms Support for Legitimacy and National Unity
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The League of Arab States, through its Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, expressed deep concern over the rapidly unfolding developments in Yemen, calling for an immediate halt to escalation and for prioritizing dialogue as the means to address existing disputes.
Aboul Gheit stressed the importance of preserving Arab solidarity and adhering to the Arab position that supports Yemen’s legitimate government in accordance with resolutions of the League of Arab States. He warned against any military actions or separatist paths that could threaten Yemen’s unity and undermine the southern Yemen cause.
The Secretary-General emphasized that resolving contentious issues must take place through political dialogue, not through the imposition of faits accomplis by force. He cautioned that separatist tendencies carry direct negative consequences for Arab national security and regional stability.
Aboul Gheit urged member states of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy to exercise restraint during this sensitive period, maintain the spirit of Arab solidarity, and adhere to the unified stance supporting Yemen’s legitimate government, in line with the successive resolutions of the Council of the League of Arab States regarding the Yemeni crisis.
He renewed his condemnation of any military moves aimed at entrenching a separatist reality on the ground by force, considering such steps a threat to Yemen’s territorial unity and a serious blow to the southern issue, which should be addressed within the framework of comprehensive national dialogue.
The Arab League’s position comes amid rapidly evolving political and security developments. Earlier today, Tuesday, the Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council issued a decision canceling the Joint Defense Agreement with the United Arab Emirates and ordered the withdrawal of Emirati forces from all Yemeni territories within 24 hours. He also tasked the National Shield Forces with taking control of military camps in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.
These developments coincided with an announcement by the leadership of the Coalition’s Joint Forces in Yemen that it had carried out a limited airstrike at Mukalla Port after monitoring two vessels arriving from the UAE’s Fujairah Port without official permits. The vessels had disabled their tracking systems and unloaded weapons shipments to support local parties—a move the Coalition said fuels the conflict and undermines de-escalation efforts.
The Arab Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to reducing escalation, enforcing calm, and preventing any military support from any state to any Yemeni faction outside the framework of coordination with the legitimate government and the Coalition.
Saudi Position
For its part, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed the Kingdom’s regret over what it described as the UAE’s “extremely dangerous steps,” noting that pressure had been exerted on Southern Transitional Council forces to push them into carrying out military operations along the Kingdom’s southern border in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.
In an official statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry affirmed that these actions constitute a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as to security and stability in Yemen and the region. It stated that such moves are inconsistent with the foundations upon which the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen was established and do not serve its efforts to achieve security and stability.
The ministry stressed that any infringement on the Kingdom’s national security is a “red line,” affirming that it will not hesitate to take the necessary measures to confront any threat. It also renewed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to Yemen’s security, stability, and sovereignty, and its full support for the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council and his government.
