NYN | News
The Arabic-language Israeli website i24NEWS has reported that the United Arab Emirates has reactivated its operations room on Zuqur Island, Yemen, turning it into a joint intelligence platform with the United States and Israel to monitor the movements of Sana’a forces, or as they refer to them, the Houthis (Ansar Allah).
According to the report published on Friday, the UAE base on Zuqur Island — located in the Red Sea — is operating in coordination with U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). It has recently been transformed into an intelligence center after the Emiratis renovated the airstrips for cargo planes, installed drone detection and warning systems aimed at intercepting drones potentially launched toward Israel or the Red Sea, and upgraded the docks for maritime transport.
The report notes that the UAE has constructed a 2.1-kilometer runway at the base, enabling the operation of multiple helicopters and large military transport aircraft. Additionally, a 185-meter-long dock has been built to support military logistics, along with logistical storage facilities connected to the dock.
The base — referred to as “Site C” — includes operations rooms and satellite communications centers, and Yemeni soldiers are prohibited from entering the facility.
The report adds that “Force 400”, which was established by the UAE in early 2021 as an intelligence unit under the guise of counterterrorism, has recently been reactivated as part of U.S. efforts to weaken the Sana’a government. The base has since shifted from exclusive UAE control to a modern intelligence hub coordinated with U.S. CENTCOM.
The outlet quoted a Yemeni source as saying that the Houthis (Ansar Allah) are, in parallel, working to enhance their capabilities, particularly their multi-warhead missile systems, both in terms of quantity and accuracy.
Reports indicate that since March 2025, the UAE began constructing military installations on Zuqur Island, located approximately 32 kilometers off the Yemeni coast and 150 kilometers from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, positioning it as a future launchpad for U.S. and Israeli special operations.
Satellite images taken in early September — and published for the first time — show construction that began in March, revealing a rapid acceleration of Israeli-Emirati naval military activity against the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen.
