In a risky escalation of a focus on the nuance of opposing agendas in Yemen, a clandestine Emirati scheme was said to have been presented to the White House under Donald Trump’s leadership, suggesting an invasion of Yemen via land utilizing militias beholden to Abu Dhabi supported by significant U.S. aerial support.
The UAE’s action is part of an overt strategy to dominate strategic maritime corridors, specifically the Hudaydah port and the western seashore bordering the Red Sea.
In the unverified report, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed suggested conducting massive ground assaults on the Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) through irregular troops that the UAE had cultivated and aided in recent years.
The plan was allegedly submitted to Washington while the U.S. administration was weighing whether its airstrikes were working, following claims that over 350 airstrikes had failed to weaken the Houthis’ abilities or put an end to their persistent assaults on American and Israeli forces in the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia, the sources said, had strong objections to the Emirati proposal, emphasizing that it would not participate in any ground campaign because of concerns of being attacked with ballistic missiles and drones—particularly remembering past attacks that undermined its internal security and threatened vital infrastructure.
The UAE’s interests go beyond Yemen, as one element of a long-term strategic endeavor to build a safe shipping corridor from the Israeli port city of Eilat to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with the help of Tel Aviv and its regional allies.
The report also mentions clandestine meetings between Mohammed bin Zayed and the leaders of Turkey-backed militias such as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, the head of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, to create an alternative military force to set the stage for dominant areas of influence.
The Emirati strategy showcases regional ambitions extending across the Red Sea, prompting significant concerns regarding Abu Dhabi’s influence in exacerbating regional conflicts instead of working towards their resolution, amidst a fierce international competition over maritime trade routes and the safeguarding of crucial waterways.