Ansar Allah renews attacks on the United Arab Emirates

Situation

As of 25 January 2022, a week on from the 17 January attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Ansar Allah (also known as the Houthis), tensions remain high, with another launch of two ballistic missiles on Abu Dhabi in the early hours of 24 January. These two missiles were successfully intercepted by UAE air defence forces but a statement from the United States Air Force on 24 January stated that the US had also “reacted to multiple inbound threats during an attack near Abu Dhabi”.

The UAE Ministry of Defence Joint Operations Command announced that at 04:10 Yemeni time on 24 January a UAE F-16 had destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in Al Jawf, Yemen, in response to the ballistic missile attack at Abu Dhabi.

The January attacks by Ansar Allah are likely driven by the group's territorial setbacks in Shabwa region and are likely retaliation for the UAE's renewed involvement in the conflict.

Short term (one to three months)

The Ansar Allah attacks on the UAE on 17 January 2022 were part of a larger response from the group to its strategic setback in Yemen during the past three months. The UAE's involvement and re-engagement in Yemen has spurred the group to quickly target the UAE, putting at risk the safety of its citizens and its large expatriate community.