<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-inner-article-top">
<h1 class="gmail-">New airstrip on Yemeni island raises concerns
of \u2018military buildup\u2019 against Ansarallah</h1>
<p class="gmail-">The UAE has expanded its network of military
and espionage sites on Yemen\u2019s islands in cooperation with
Israel</p>
<div class="gmail-another-name">
<p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/news-desk-9"
style="color:rgb(164,4,4)" moz-do-not-send="true">News
Desk</a></p>
</div>
<div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px">
<p><span style="color:rgb(84,88,94)">OCT 20, 2025 - </span><font
size="1"><a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/new-airstrip-on-yemeni-island-raises-concerns-of-military-buildup-against-ansarallah"
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext">https://thecradle.co/articles/new-airstrip-on-yemeni-island-raises-concerns-of-military-buildup-against-ansarallah</a></font></p>
</div>
</div>
<div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img
src="https://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/ad68e69e-adbf-11f0-845d-00163e02c055.webp"
alt="" width="395" height="222" style="margin-right: 0px;"
moz-do-not-send="true"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><span><font size="1">(Photo
credit: Planet Labs PBC via AP)</font></span></div>
<div class="gmail-inner-article-content">
<div class="gmail-row">
<div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7">
<div class="gmail-article-content"><span
class="gmail-article-body">
<p>A new airstrip is being built on the island of Zuqar
off the coast of Yemen, according to satellite imagery
from Planet Labs PBC published on 20 October by AP. </p>
<p>The strip is likely being established to counter the
Ansarallah movement and Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF),
analysts and journalists said. </p>
<p>It could also bolster intelligence and <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/yemen-rises-as-the-decisive-front-in-the-US-Israel-bid-for-regional-control"
moz-do-not-send="true">surveillance</a> capabilities
against Sanaa\u2019s forces, as part of a network of
military and espionage sites across the islands
surrounding Yemen \u2013 built by the UAE with help from
Israel. </p>
<p>Abu Dhabi and Yemen\u2019s Saudi and Emirati-backed
governments did not respond to questions from <a
href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-zuqar-island-airstrip-uae-c8c0182307ccefcb3f51854493f3ae00"
moz-do-not-send="true">AP</a> about whether the
strip could be used for a broad military campaign. </p>
<p>The airstrip is 2,000 meters long and lies 90
kilometers from the port city of Hodeidah, which has
been struck repeatedly by Israel in recent months.</p>
<p>The images reveal that work on the airstrip began in
April. By August, asphalt being laid out, and the work
is continuing until now.</p>
<p>A UAE-based firm, Saif Shipping and Marine Services,
acknowledged receiving an order to deliver the asphalt
to Zuqar. Other UAE-based maritime companies have, in
the past, been linked to airstrip projects near
Yemen. </p>
<p>\u201cOn Zuqar Island in the Red Sea, opposite the city of
Al-Hodeidah in Yemen, there is a military buildup
against the Yemeni Armed Forces. We observe the
construction of a new runway for the landing and
takeoff of military aircraft,\u201d said Yemeni journalist
Ahmad Salman in a post on X.</p>
<div
class="gmail-twitter-tweet gmail-twitter-tweet-rendered"
style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"></div>
<p>Eleonora Ardemagni, analyst at the Italian Institute
for International Political Studies, told AP that \u201cthe
possibility of a new Yemeni offensive against the
Houthis, backed by the Saudi-led coalition, can\u2019t be
ruled out, although I don\u2019t see it as approaching.\u201d</p>
<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a more important point in my view regarding
the buildup in Zuqar: the countering of Houthis\u2019
smuggling activities, with particular regard to
weapons,\u201d she added.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, satellite images <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/satellite-images-show-rapid-escalation-of-uae-israeli-spy-bases-near-yemen"
moz-do-not-send="true">revealed</a> that the network
of Emirati military and intelligence bases built by
the UAE across Yemen\u2019s islands and areas on the coast
of Somalia has expanded. </p>
<p>These sites have solidified UAE dominance over the <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/916"
moz-do-not-send="true">waterways</a> near Yemen in
the last few years, particularly the ones established
on the Socotra archipelago in cooperation with Israel.</p>
<p>In 2015, Saudi Arabia began a brutal war against
Yemen at the head of a coalition of Gulf states
including the UAE.</p>
<p>The war raged on for 10 years, resulting in famine
and the killing of over 150,000 Yemenis. While the
conflict has subsided, Yemeni main ports and airports
remain under blockade and the hunger crisis has
persisted. </p>
<p>The areas not under control of Ansarallah are
administered by the Saudi-backed Presidential
Leadership Council (PLC) and the separatist,
Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).</p>
<p>The continued expansion of military and intelligence
installations around Yemen comes as Tel Aviv is
gearing up to continue attacks against <a
href="https://thecradle.co/articles/israeli-army-launches-recruitment-campaign-in-yemen-targeting-ansarallah-opponents"
moz-do-not-send="true">Ansarallah</a> and Yemeni
army \u2013 despite Sanaa halting its military operations
against Israel after the ceasefire was announced in
Gaza. </p>
<p>Hebrew news outlet Channel 12 reported last week that
\u201cintense discussions within the security establishment
recently led to separating the Yemen front from that
of Gaza, allowing military action against Yemen to
continue post-ceasefire.\u201d</p>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>