Former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi dies

Former Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi has died at the age of 80 in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh, Yemeni state television confirmed on Thursday.

While official broadcasters, including the Saudi-owned network Al Arabiya, confirmed his passing without immediately specifying an official cause of death, local reports point to a sudden decline in his health. Citing an anonymous government source, the Yemeni news outlet Al-Masdaronline reported that Hadi passed away in a Riyadh hospital on Thursday morning after his condition deteriorated sharply over the past week. The former leader had a well-documented history of heart disease and frequently traveled to the United States for specialized medical care and examinations at a clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Hadi stands as one of the most prominent and defining political figures in modern Yemeni history. He spent decades in the upper echelons of the country's government, notably serving as vice president for nearly two decades under long-time leader Ali Abdullah Saleh.

He officially took the helm as president of Yemen in 2012, stepping into power during a turbulent transition period following Saleh's departure from office. Hadi went on to guide the government through a decade of intense civil conflict before ultimately stepping down in April 2022. In his final act of major political leadership, he officially transferred his executive powers to the newly formed Presidential Leadership Council, an eight-member governing body currently headed by Rashad al-Alimi.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada