Yemen Faces Renewed Conflict as Separatists Advance, Saudi Arabia Responds
A fragile peace in Yemen is threatened as forces from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) launch a military operation, prompting calls for intervention from the internationally recognized government and raising tensions with Saudi Arabia.
Yemen is once again on the brink of escalation as the Southern Transitional Council (STC), the primary separatist group in the country, initiated a military operation in the mountainous region of Abyan province on December 15, 2025. The move has triggered a request from the Yemeni government for military support from its Saudi-led coalition allies, fearing a further deterioration of the already devastating decade-long conflict.
The Yemeni government, recognized internationally, formally appealed to the Saudi-led coalition on December 26th, requesting “military measures” to bolster its forces in territories recently seized by the separatists. According to the state-run Saba news agency, the request was made to “protect innocent civilians in the Hadramaut province and help the armed forces restore calm.”
Earlier in the day, the Yemeni separatists demonstrated their resolve to continue pursuing their objectives, despite warnings from Saudi Arabia, which they accuse of striking their positions. The STC has gained significant ground in recent weeks, capturing vast territories and declaring its intention to reinstate the former independent state of South Yemen, which existed from 1967 to 1990.
Adding to the escalating tensions, a Yemeni military official reported that over 15,000 Yemeni fighters, backed by Saudi Arabia, are massing in strategic areas along the border between the two countries.
The separatists, supported by the United Arab Emirates, accused Saudi Arabia on Friday of bombing their positions. “The Saudi air force bombed positions of the forces” of the separatists in Wadi Nahb, in the Hadramaut province, according to the “independent Aden channel,” a media outlet close to the STC, in a message posted on social media. Television footage circulated showing a plume of smoke rising from the desert, with white vehicles visible in the foreground.
The STC reported to the AFP news agency that two Saudi airstrikes occurred in the region. No casualties were immediately reported following the strikes. However, separatists warned in a statement that these attacks “will not prevent the people of the South from continuing to move towards the restoration of their rights.”
Despite being part of the coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government, the STC stated in the same communiqué that it remains “open to any arrangement” with Riyadh “guaranteeing the security, unity, and integrity of the South.”
“Unjustified Escalation”
Saudi Arabia, leading the military coalition supporting the Yemeni government, has not yet commented on these allegations. However, on Thursday, following clashes between the separatists and a tribal leader aligned with the Saudi kingdom, Riyadh condemned the unilateral seizure of territory, denouncing it as an “unjustified escalation” and calling for an “urgent withdrawal” of STC forces from the provinces of Mahra and Hadramaut.
These renewed tensions threaten to further destabilize Yemen, already the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula and a focal point of regional rivalries. Since 2014, Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating conflict between the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, and the government, which comprises a diverse array of forces.
The intervention of the Saudi-led military coalition in 2015 has exacerbated the war, leaving the country divided, resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths, and triggering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
A relative calm had returned since a truce was brokered in 2022 between the Houthi rebels and government forces. Oman, a key mediator in Yemen and a neighbor of Mahra province, has appealed for all parties to “avoid any escalation (…) and engage in a comprehensive political dialogue.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the STC’s advances increased the risk of a “greater escalation” in the country, which is already facing one of the worst humanitarian crises globally, according to the UN. “A full resumption of hostilities could have grave repercussions for regional peace and security,” he stated, urging all parties to de-escalate tensions.
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The situation remains highly volatile, with the potential for a wider conflict that could further exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen. The international community is closely monitoring developments, hoping to avert a return to full-scale war and pave the way for a lasting political solution.
