UAE and Israel’s Secret War in Yemen
Introduction: The Silent Alliance
As the world watches Gaza, a quieter but deeply consequential operation is unfolding in Yemen. A growing body of credible reports indicates that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is playing a central role in facilitating Israeli covert operations in southern Yemen, particularly through control of strategic ports and islands. The partnership, forged publicly under the Abraham Accords, is now yielding secretive military and intelligence dividends in one of the Arab world’s most devastated nations.
UAE’s Military Footprint in Yemen
Since 2015, the UAE has supported various armed factions in Yemen, especially in the south. Ostensibly part of the Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis, Abu Dhabi quickly shifted focus to securing economic and military control over Yemen’s coastline and offshore islands.
From Aden to Socotra, the UAE has built military bases, airstrips, and naval ports, often bypassing the official Yemeni government. These sites are now believed to house advanced Israeli surveillance systems and military advisors, using UAE cover to avoid direct exposure.
Israeli Infiltration Through UAE Channels
According to regional security sources and leaked intelligence cables, Israeli personnel have been present in Socotra and Al-Mukalla, operating under Emirati logistical protection. Their role includes:
- Setting up radar and SIGINT systems to monitor maritime activity in the Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea.
- Training selected Yemeni units, particularly in anti-Houthi urban warfare.
- Coordinating drone surveillance missions over Houthi-controlled areas and Iranian supply routes.
This cooperation has effectively turned UAE-controlled zones in Yemen into forward Israeli outposts, enabling Jerusalem to project power without formal military deployment.
Flashback: The Qatar Playbook
This isn’t the UAE’s first covert regional campaign involving Israel. In 2017, the UAE played a pivotal role in the blockade against Qatar, coordinating with Israel behind the scenes to push narratives of Qatari extremism, terrorism funding, and regional disloyalty.
Today, many of the same media outlets and lobbyists involved in the Qatar smear campaign are reactivated to justify the UAE’s continued presence in Yemen — this time under the guise of anti-Iran stability.
Strategic Goals Behind the Scenes
The UAE-Israel alliance in Yemen serves several overlapping objectives:
- Undermining Iran’s foothold in the north (via the Houthis).
- Controlling strategic maritime routes, including chokepoints vital for global energy flows.
- Denying Turkey, Qatar, or independent Yemeni factions influence in the south.
- Installing a fragmented Yemen too weak to oppose UAE-Israel strategic interests.
Consequences on the Ground
- Civilians in the south report displacement, property seizures, and increased surveillance.
- Port revenues and trade flows are redirected through UAE-linked channels, depriving Yemenis of sovereign control.
- Warlordism is reinforced, as UAE-backed militias gain autonomy from any central governance.
Despite public claims of stabilization, hunger, chaos, and militarization define the ground reality in these zones.
Conclusion: A New Kind of Occupation
The UAE-Israel cooperation in Yemen represents a new form of occupation: not via tanks and flags, but through economic penetration, military bases, intelligence sharing, and local proxies. It’s a model first tested in the Qatar crisis and now perfected in Yemen — with devastating consequences.
