The New York Times published on 27 February 2026 an article titled "How a Call from Trump Ignited a Bitter Feud Between Two U.S. Allies" by Vivian Nereim.
Saudi Arabia reportedly asked the United States to impose sanctions on the UAE for its support of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. A Saudi official said the request was to put additional sanctions on the RSF to prevent them from getting external support, not to impose sanctions directly on the UAE.
While the details of the phone call are in dispute, the episode resulted in a public feud between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Relations rapidly deteriorated in December when Saudi Arabia bombed an Emirati shipment to Yemen. Now, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are supporting opposing sides of conflicting groups in Yemen and Sudan.
