Saudis threatened action against separatists

Sana’a Cairo (dpa) — Saudi Arabia on Saturday called on Yemen’s southern separatists, backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to withdraw from territory they recently seized, and threatened action against them.

Earlier this month,forces aligned to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) took over large chunks from the Saudi-backed government in the provinces of Hadramaut and al-Mahra, which together make up around half of Yemen’s territory.

The STC and the government have been allies for years in the fight against the Iran-allied Houthi rebels.

However, the STC has repeatedly defied its partners to control larger areas in war-torn Yemen and rally people to demand renewed secession of the southern region of the country.

Yemen was already divided between 1967 and until reunification in 1990.

On Saturday, the Saudi Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman called on the STC to “give a precedence to the voice of reason, wisdom and unity” by handing over sites their forces recently seized in the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and al-Mahra.

Saudis threatened action against separatists

“The regrettable events since the start of December 2025 in both provinces have led to a division in the ranks against the enemy,” the Saudi official said in a post on the social media platform X.

Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government against the Houthi militia.

A Saudi-led alliance Saturday requested the withdrawal of the STC forces and threatened it would act against military movements undermining de-escalation efforts in Yemen.

Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are Gulf partners to the anti-Houthi alliance in Yemen, but they are seen as regional rivals.

On Friday, media linked to the STC accused Saudi Arabia of launching airstrikes against forces loyal to the council in oil-rich Hadramaut. Riyadh did not comment.

In reaction, the STC, without naming Saudi Arabia, said it would not be deterred by the strikes, but said it remains committed to the anti-Houthi fighting.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating power struggle since 2014 between government forces, supported by the Saudi-led alliance, and the Houthis, who control large swathes of territory in the north, including the capital Sana’a.