Crown Prince and Defense Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, has sent the military to secure two strategic Red Sea ports and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in Yemen, after the United Arab Emirates have made a shock pull-out.
Khalifa bin Zayed pulled out UAE soldiers from Yemen in a hasty retreat, fearing the growing death toll and economic cost of the four year conflict, leaving several key strategic sites vulnerable to the Yemeni rebel forces.
The Emirati pull-out has been seen as somewhat of a betrayal by the Saudi Royal Family, who have been pressured to commit more troops and resources after the Emirati surrender.
Following the Sheikh’s pull-out, Mohammed bin Salman immediately sent troops to secure the vulnerable sites, including the southern port city of Aden and Perim Island, a small volcanic rock in the strategic Bab al-Mandeb shipping lane, where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden.
