A phone call from President Trump in November exposed and intensified long-simmering tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to people briefed on the exchange, Trump told Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had urged him to impose sanctions on the Emirates over its alleged backing of an armed group in Sudan’s civil war. Saudi and American officials disputed that account, but the conversation triggered a sharp deterioration in relations.

The fallout quickly became public. Emirati officials felt betrayed, and within weeks friction escalated across the region. In Yemen, a separatist group backed by the Emirates launched an offensive near the Saudi border, prompting Saudi Arabia to bomb an Emirati shipment it said contained weapons. The Emirates denied the accusation and announced a troop withdrawal, deepening the rift.

At the heart of the dispute is Sudan’s war. Saudi Arabia supports the Sudanese armed forces, while the Emirates has been accused of backing the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group facing allegations of atrocities. The conflict has become a flashpoint in a broader rivalry, as the two oil-rich powers compete for regional dominance and pursue diverging foreign policy strategies.

The rupture carries significant geopolitical and economic consequences, potentially affecting conflicts across the Middle East and Africa and complicating Washington’s regional agenda. Despite public denials of involvement, Trump has suggested he could help resolve the dispute, as both Gulf nations remain important partners with extensive business and political ties to his circle.