Eastern Yemen tensions grow as coalition confronts STC deployments
The fragile calm in southern Yemen has come under renewed strain as the Saudi-led coalition has signaled growing unease over the expanding footprint of the anti-Houthi secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the country’s eastern provinces.
Coalition officials have warned that any further redeployment of armed units in Hadramout or Al-Mahra could upset the delicate balance created by recent de-escalation efforts and trigger direct countermeasures to protect the local population.
The warning reflects mounting concern in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi that rival anti-Houthi factions are edging toward confrontation at a time when international mediators are pushing for a broader political settlement.
At the heart of the dispute is the future of southern Yemen and the extent of the STC’s authority in resource-rich areas that once formed part of a separate state, the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, prior to unification in 1990. The situation represents a major test for both regional diplomacy and UN efforts to stabilize the country.
Yemeni journalist Mahmoud Assamiee told News.Az that the Saudi-led Arab Coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government has issued a firm warning to the Southern Transitional Council, stressing that any new military movements in eastern Yemen would undermine ongoing de-escalation efforts and would be confronted directly to protect civilians.
Photo: Yemeni journalist Mahmoud Assamiee
According to Assamiee, coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki said the coalition’s leadership “will not tolerate any military escalation” that runs counter to regional and Yemeni efforts to reduce tensions.
“The warning followed an urgent appeal from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, who called for immediate action to halt what he described as serious violations committed by STC-affiliated elements in Hadramout province,” he said. In a related development, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman urged STC leaders to adhere to dialogue and to the joint mediation process led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
“In comments posted on social media, the minister called for military camps in the eastern provinces to be evacuated and handed over peacefully to the Nation’s Shield Forces and local authorities. He stressed that restraint and rational decision-making remain the only viable path through the current sensitive phase,” the journalist added.
According to Assamiee, the Saudi defense minister also reiterated that the “southern issue” remains a central component of any future comprehensive political settlement in Yemen, stressing that durable solutions must be grounded in consensus and confidence-building rather than military maneuvers that risk benefiting forces hostile to Yemen.
“The latest tensions come after the STC refused to withdraw its forces from areas it recently seized in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, insisting that its deployment is aimed at securing the oil-rich eastern regions,” he said, adding that observers note the STC’s expanding territorial control across southern Yemen, coupled with its ability to push government forces out of Aden, represents a significant step toward potential secession and a return to the pre-1990 division of the country.
The journalist said these developments place UN-led peace efforts and regional mediation under serious strain amid widening internal divisions.
“Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2015, when the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels seized large parts of the country, prompting military intervention by a Saudi-led coalition. Although frontline clashes between the Houthis and the government significantly eased following a UN-brokered truce in 2022, political and security tensions within anti-Houthi factions have continued to simmer,” he concluded.
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