The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly refuted reports suggesting its involvement in discussions with the United States regarding a potential ground offensive in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis, labeling the claims "bizarre and baseless."
Lana Nusseibeh, the Assistant UAE Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, explicitly told Reuters that allegations of Emirati support for Yemeni factions planning such an operation are completely unfounded.
Her statement follows a report by the Wall Street Journal, which cited Yemeni and American officials claiming that armed factions were preparing to launch a significant ground campaign targeting the Houthis. This operation, according to the report, would be coordinated with ongoing U.S. airstrikes. These factions reportedly view the current military momentum as an opportunity to regain crucial territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which has been under Houthi control for nearly a decade.

The Wall Street Journal report further alleged that private U.S. security contractors have been advising these factions, with purported backing from the UAE, which supposedly presented the plan to American officials in recent weeks.
The UAE played a significant role in the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 after the Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sana’a. While Abu Dhabi reduced its military presence in Yemen by 2019, the Houthi group continues to control a substantial portion of western Yemen despite a ceasefire established in 2022.

Since March 15, U.S. forces have intensified airstrikes against Houthi positions, following President Trump’s commitment to dismantle the group in response to their attacks on commercial vessels. Washington has stated its intention to continue this campaign until the Houthis cease their attacks on international shipping.
However, Yemeni officials and analysts contend that airstrikes alone are unlikely to decisively defeat the Houthi group. They argue that a ground offensive may be essential to dismantle the Houthis' entrenched infrastructure.
Any U.S. support for such a ground campaign would represent a considerable escalation of the conflict, reigniting questions about the extent of its involvement in Yemen’s protracted war.