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Targeted Saudi airstrikes
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Yemeni Presidential Council declaring emergency measures
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Cancellation of security coordination with the UAE
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UAE Ministry of Defense announcing the “voluntary” end of counterterrorism operations in Yemen
That last line tells you everything: pressure worked.
MBS vs MBZ: Same Generation, Different Maps
This is not a personal feud—but leadership style matters.
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) views Yemen primarily through security geometry:
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Border integrity
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Missile threats
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Territorial unity
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A negotiated endgame with Houthis to stabilize the southern frontier
Mohammed bin Zayed (MBZ) views Yemen through trade and control geometry:
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Ports
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Sea lanes (Bab al-Mandeb, Gulf of Aden)
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Proxy leverage
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Fragmentation over unity
This divergence is now irreconcilable.
A unified Yemen stabilizes Saudi Arabia.
A fragmented Yemen advantages the UAE’s port-centric, Israel-aligned maritime strategy.
These are not compatible end states.
