A separatist group has seized control of an oil-rich region in southern Yemen, threatening to reignite the country's civil war. The Southern Transitional Council, backed by the UAE, has taken over most of Hadramout and Mahra provinces, including key oil facilities. Yemen's civil war involves complex sectarian grievances and regional powers.
Why Japan issued an advisory for a possible megaquake in the country's northActivist arrested for vandalism after painting Los Angeles crosswalk deemed unsafeSoccer peace prize for Trump triggers complaints about Infantino to FIFA ethics investigatorsRaul Malo, the soulful tenor and frontman of The Mavericks, has died at age 60AP Entertainment WireRaccoon goes on drunken rampage in Virginia liquor store and passes out on bathroom floorMysterious googly eyes go viral after appearing on public art in OregonIf you want that tattoo erased it's going to hurt and it's going to cost youA good shower is a simple shower, no matter what influencers recommendThe World in PicturesNordic people know how to beat the winter blues.
Here's how to find light in the darkest monthsIf you want that tattoo erased it's going to hurt and it's going to cost youA good shower is a simple shower, no matter what influencers recommendData centers for AI could nearly triple San Jose’s energy use. Who foots the bill?A unique app is changing the dating game for disabled and chronically ill peoplePope criticizes US bid to 'break apart' US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peaceBoeing finaliza la adquisición de Spirit AeroSystems, proveedor clave del 737 Max Here's how to find light in the darkest monthsIf you want that tattoo erased it's going to hurt and it's going to cost youA good shower is a simple shower, no matter what influencers recommendData centers for AI could nearly triple San Jose’s energy use. Who foots the bill?A unique app is changing the dating game for disabled and chronically ill peoplePope criticizes US bid to 'break apart' US-Europe alliance, insists on Europe role in Ukraine peaceBoeing finaliza la adquisición de Spirit AeroSystems, proveedor clave del 737 Maxof an oil-rich region in southern Yemen, shattering a relative calm in the country’s stalemated civil war — a significant move in a country located along a key international trade route that also threatens to bring new risks to the Persian Gulf region. The secessionist Southern Transitional Council, STC, a group backed by the United Arab Emirates, this month seized most of the the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, including oil facilities. Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a civil war that involves a complex interplay of sectarian grievances and the involvement of regional powers. The Iran-aligned Houthis control the most populous regions of the country, including the capital Sanaa. Meanwhile, a loose regional coalition of powers — including Saudi Arabia and the UAE — has backed the internationally recognized government in the south. The war has created a humanitarian crisis and shattered the economy. Still, since 2022, violence has gradually declined as the sides reached something of a stalemate in the war.The war in Yemen began in 2014, when the Houthis marched from their northern stronghold of Saada. They took the capital, Sanaa, and forced the internationally recognized government into exile. Saudi Arabia and the UAE entered the war the following year in an attempt to restore the government. The new fighting pits the STC against the forces of the internationally recognized government and its allied tribes, even as they are both members of the camp fighting against the Houthi rebels in the country’s broader civil war. The STC is the most powerful group in southern Yemen, with crucial financial and military support from the UAE. It was established in April 2017 as an umbrella organization for groups that seek to restore South Yemen as an independent state, as it was between 1967 and 1990. The latest moves reinforced the STC positions across southern Yemen, which could give them leverage in any future talks to settle the Yemen conflict. The STC has long demanded that any settlement should give southern Yemen the right of self-determination., who is also vice president of the country’s Presidential Leadership Council, the ruling organ of the internationally recognized government. The STC and other UAE-supported groups now control most of the southern half of Yemen, including crucial port cities and islands. The other party in the latest fighting includes the Yemeni military, which reports to the internationally recognized government. They are allied with the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, a local tribal coalition supported by Saudi Arabia. These forces are centered in Yemen’s largest province of Hadramout, which stretches from the Gulf of Aden in the south to the border with Saudi Arabia in the north. The oil-rich province is a major source of fuel for the southern areas of Yemen.Earlier this month, STC forces marched to Hadramout and took control of the province’s major facilities, including PetroMasila, Yemen’s largest oil company, after brief clashes with government forces and their tribal allies. This took place after the Saudi-backed Hadramout Tribal Alliance seized the PetroMasila oil facility in late November to pressure the government to agree to its demands for a bigger share of oil revenues and the improvement of services for Hadramout’s residents. The STC apparently seized on this move as a pretext for wrestling control of Hadramout and its oil facilities for itself and expanding areas under its control in Yemen. STC forces then marched to the province of Mahra on the borders with Oman and took control of a border crossing between the two countries. In Aden, the UAE-backed force also seized the presidential palace, which serves as the seat of the ruling Presidential Council. Saudi troops also withdrew earlier this month from bases in Aden, a Yemeni government official said. The withdrawal was part of a Saudi “repositioning strategy,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter. Saudi Arabia sent a delegation to Harramout to meet with the province’s governor and other political and tribal leaders in efforts to tamp down tensions. Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Qahtani, the Saudi delegation’s chairman, said in video comments that his government “rejects any attempts to impose a fait accompli,” in Hadramout.The escalation shattered the relative quiet in Yemen’s war, which has been stalemated in recent years after the Houthis reached a deal with Saudi Arabia that stopped their attacks on the kingdom in return for ceasing the Saudi-led strikes on their territories. Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group, said Saudi Arabia appeared “deeply dissatisfied” with the STC’s latest move. “The group has gone beyond the Saudi-led arrangements,” he said. “The UAE seems to be the main winner, expanding its influence in the Yemeni crisis.” The United Arab Emirates, meanwhile, insisted that its approach was in line with Saudi Arabia’s goal of “supporting a political process” to settle the multi-layer conflict in Yemen. It said the country’s governance and territorial integrity is “an issue that must be determined by the Yemeni parties themselves.”Magdy is a Middle East reporter for The Associated Press, based in Cairo. He focuses on conflict, migration and human rights abuses.
United Arab Emirates General News Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates Government Houthis Yemen Government Saudi Arabia Government Politics Ahmed Nagi Energy Industry Mohammed Al-Qahtani World News World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Chilly air settles in for the Gulf Coast after the front; quiet week aheadSunshine returns Tuesday afternoon with a gradual warmup midweek.
Read more »
Space heater sales spike on Gulf Coast as temperatures fall; fire officials warn of deadly risksTemperatures dropped on the Gulf Coast this past week. People are breaking out their space heaters to warm up.
Read more »
Long-running Alabama beach music festival called off for 2026, Gulf Shores mayor saysThe mayor says organizers didn't have time to put an acceptable lineup together.
Read more »
How Cambodia and Thailand’s Armies Compare As Conflict ReignitesAn escalation of violence has prompted thousands of civilians along the Thailand-Cambodia to flee.
Read more »
Gulf Shores Music Festival Canceled for 2026, New Event Approved for 2027The Gulf Shores music festival, a city staple since 2010, has been canceled for 2026. The Mayor stated the cancellation was due to a shift in desired talent and audience. A new festival has already been approved for 2027. Also reported a man arrested for corpse abuse, Coast Guard ceremony, Mobile police investigation and conflict over rent.
Read more »
HOPE For All Gulf Coast holiday food drive is ongoing through December 18thThe HOPE For All Gulf Coast holiday food drive is ongoing through December 18th.A donation box has been placed at each Mobile PD precinct, the Mobile PD HQ lobb
Read more »