While Abu Dhabi police did not immediately offer any suspects, Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack targeting the United Arab Emirates.
The designation has broad implications — not just for the Iran-backed group, which controls Yemen's capital, but also for international organizations trying to help residents badly in need of aid.
The move would be the first step towards implementation of a ceasefire agreed to by the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces in December. The ports serve as a lifeline for humanitarian aid.
In 2015, Saudi Arabia initiated a bombing campaign against Yemen that continues today. Journalist Robert Worth says the results have been devastating — and that the U.S. shares some of the blame.
So far, the fighting has stayed in Hodeidah's outskirts. But the relative calm isn't likely to last — and aid groups are desperately calling for its port to stay open for a country already in crisis.
The U.N. pulled foreign staff from Hodeidah amid efforts to avert an attack by pro-government forces backed by the United Arab Emirates. A shutdown of the port could put hundreds of thousands at risk.
Yemen's Houthi rebels, who are fighting a Saudi-led coalition, said Tuesday they aimed at a royal palace in the Saudi kingdom. Videos appear to show the missile exploding in midair over Riyadh.