The UAE has not commented on its withdrawal, but foreign diplomats and eyewitnesses confirm it
years of fierce fighting and international outrage, the United Arab Emirates is quietly slipping out the back door. Over the past few weeks it has begun to withdraw men and materiel from Yemen, where it is part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting against the Houthis, an Iranian-backed Shia militia that controls large parts of the country. Thehas not commented on the drawdown. But foreign diplomats and eyewitnesses confirm it is happening.
The proximate cause is growing fear of conflict with Iran. Tensions have climbed steadily since America withdrew last year from the agreement struck in 2015 that imposed limits on Iran’s nuclear programme. In May four oil tankers were sabotaged near theport of Fujairah. America blamed Iran. The Emirati foreign minister, in a sign of his country’s nervousness, says it is too early to assign blame.
Many Emiratis feel the fighting has run its course. They are the most important partner in the coalition. Though the’s army is much smaller than Saudi Arabia’s, it is a more capable fighting force. Emirati troops did most of the heavy fighting on the ground in South Yemen, while Saudi jets provided often ineffectual air support.
The Houthis are not popular in the south, where locals grate at northern control . It would be much harder to oust the Houthis from the capital, Sana’a, and the northern highlands where their movement originated. The coalition’s offensive has also stalled around the western port of Hodeida, where thebrokered a tense ceasefire. Unable to advance, the Saudis have of late been looking for a negotiated peace deal, though with little success.
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