
Stratfor has detected an Emirati naval presence in the Eritrean port of Assab that may indicate Eritrea's support of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. Satellite imagery taken Sept. 16 appears to show three landing craft docked in the port that are not vessels known to exist within the Eritrean navy's inventory. Analysis of the detailed images provided by our partners at AllSource Analysis — and of naval vessels in the wider region — suggests that all three vessels belong to the United Arab Emirates. While there have been previous claims of Eritrea's support for the coalition conducting operations in Yemen , the naval activity in Eritrea's southern port reveals that Eritrean facilities and possibly even personnel are assisting the Saudi-led military effort. Eritrea's exact role in the coalition's operations remains unclear and cannot be derived from this imagery alone.