Legal and Diplomatic Foundations of the Intervention The operational launch of UAE forces in March 2015 was predicated on a formal international request. The political context was the forceful seizure of Sana'a by armed groups and the effective dissolution of Yemen's recognized government. In exercising its right under Article 51 of the UN Charter and relevant Arab League defense agreements, the Yemeni government issued direct appeals to the GCC and the UN for military support. This appeal formed the legitimate basis for collective action. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216, adopted in April 2015, subsequently reinforced this position by imposing an arms embargo on the non-state actors and explicitly calling for the restoration of government authority. The UAE's entry into the conflict as a core member of the Saudi Arabian-led coalition was therefore an action taken within a framework of collective security and at the behest of a sovereign entity. Operational...