\n<\/p>\n
Riyadh calls seizure of oil-rich provinces \u2018unjustified escalation\u2019 as fragile anti-Houthi alliance shows cracks.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\nPublished On 25 Dec 2025<\/span>25 Dec 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\nClick here to share on social media<\/p>\nshare2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that threatens to deepen divisions within the governing coalition opposed to the Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the demand on Thursday, describing military operations by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) as an \u201cunjustified escalation\u201d after the group took control of the oil-rich Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates earlier in December.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilise security and stability, which may result in undesirable consequences,\u201d the Foreign Ministry warned.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia added that meditation efforts were under way, aimed at having the STC\u2019s forces return to \u201ctheir previous positions outside of the two governorates and handover the camps in those areas\u201d to the National Shield Forces.<\/p>\n<p>Riyadh said it remained hopeful the separatists would pull back \u201cin an urgent and orderly manner\u201d to restore stability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The STC, which has previously received military and financial backing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), moved swiftly into the two provinces in early December, seizing key oil facilities, government buildings and border crossings with minimal resistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The group also took over the presidential palace in Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both backed the government against Iran-aligned Houthis during Yemen\u2019s civil war since 2015. The STC is part of a broader coalition backed by Saudi Arabia, called the Presidential Leadership Council, which represents the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">While the two Gulf powers sent a joint delegation to Aden on December 12 to negotiate a resolution, those efforts have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"critical-and-existential-juncture\">\u2018Critical and existential juncture\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia shares a 684km (425-mile) border with Hadramout and views the province as vital to its national security, while Oman has similar concerns about al-Mahra on its frontier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Both governorates host important trade routes and energy resources that the STC considers essential for establishing an independent southern state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The separatist group was formed in 2017 to restore South Yemen, which existed as an independent country between 1967 and 1990.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, holds a seat on Yemen\u2019s Presidential Leadership Council but has increasingly acted independently of the government he nominally serves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Instead of withdrawing, the STC has expanded operations into neighbouring Abyan province and declared that its ultimate goal was to seize the Yemeni capital Sanaa from the Houthis. Al-Zubaidi recently told supporters that the south stands at \u201ca critical and existential juncture\u201d requiring work to build \u201cthe institutions of the future South Arabian state\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Analysts warn the escalation could unravel Yemen\u2019s fragile truce and benefit the Houthis, who have controlled northern Yemen, including Sanaa, since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Riyadh calls seizure of oil-rich provinces \u2018unjustified escalation\u2019 as fragile anti-Houthi alliance shows cracks. Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Published On 25 Dec 2025<\/span>25 Dec 2025<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/p>\nClick here to share on social media<\/p>\nshare2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that threatens to deepen divisions within the governing coalition opposed to the Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the demand on Thursday, describing military operations by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) as an \u201cunjustified escalation\u201d after the group took control of the oil-rich Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates earlier in December.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilise security and stability, which may result in undesirable consequences,\u201d the Foreign Ministry warned.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia added that meditation efforts were under way, aimed at having the STC\u2019s forces return to \u201ctheir previous positions outside of the two governorates and handover the camps in those areas\u201d to the National Shield Forces.<\/p>\n<p>Riyadh said it remained hopeful the separatists would pull back \u201cin an urgent and orderly manner\u201d to restore stability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The STC, which has previously received military and financial backing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), moved swiftly into the two provinces in early December, seizing key oil facilities, government buildings and border crossings with minimal resistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The group also took over the presidential palace in Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both backed the government against Iran-aligned Houthis during Yemen\u2019s civil war since 2015. The STC is part of a broader coalition backed by Saudi Arabia, called the Presidential Leadership Council, which represents the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">While the two Gulf powers sent a joint delegation to Aden on December 12 to negotiate a resolution, those efforts have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"critical-and-existential-juncture\">\u2018Critical and existential juncture\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia shares a 684km (425-mile) border with Hadramout and views the province as vital to its national security, while Oman has similar concerns about al-Mahra on its frontier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Both governorates host important trade routes and energy resources that the STC considers essential for establishing an independent southern state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The separatist group was formed in 2017 to restore South Yemen, which existed as an independent country between 1967 and 1990.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, holds a seat on Yemen\u2019s Presidential Leadership Council but has increasingly acted independently of the government he nominally serves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Instead of withdrawing, the STC has expanded operations into neighbouring Abyan province and declared that its ultimate goal was to seize the Yemeni capital Sanaa from the Houthis. Al-Zubaidi recently told supporters that the south stands at \u201ca critical and existential juncture\u201d requiring work to build \u201cthe institutions of the future South Arabian state\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Analysts warn the escalation could unravel Yemen\u2019s fragile truce and benefit the Houthis, who have controlled northern Yemen, including Sanaa, since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Riyadh calls seizure of oil-rich provinces \u2018unjustified escalation\u2019 as fragile anti-Houthi alliance shows cracks. Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n
share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that threatens to deepen divisions within the governing coalition opposed to the Houthi rebels.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia\u2019s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the demand on Thursday, describing military operations by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) as an \u201cunjustified escalation\u201d after the group took control of the oil-rich Hadramout and al-Mahra governorates earlier in December.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe kingdom stresses the importance of cooperation among all Yemeni factions and components to exercise restraint and avoid any measures that could destabilise security and stability, which may result in undesirable consequences,\u201d the Foreign Ministry warned.<\/p>\n<p>Saudi Arabia added that meditation efforts were under way, aimed at having the STC\u2019s forces return to \u201ctheir previous positions outside of the two governorates and handover the camps in those areas\u201d to the National Shield Forces.<\/p>\n<p>Riyadh said it remained hopeful the separatists would pull back \u201cin an urgent and orderly manner\u201d to restore stability.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The STC, which has previously received military and financial backing from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), moved swiftly into the two provinces in early December, seizing key oil facilities, government buildings and border crossings with minimal resistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The group also took over the presidential palace in Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen\u2019s internationally recognised government.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia and the UAE have both backed the government against Iran-aligned Houthis during Yemen\u2019s civil war since 2015. The STC is part of a broader coalition backed by Saudi Arabia, called the Presidential Leadership Council, which represents the country.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">While the two Gulf powers sent a joint delegation to Aden on December 12 to negotiate a resolution, those efforts have so far failed to produce a breakthrough.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"critical-and-existential-juncture\">\u2018Critical and existential juncture\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Saudi Arabia shares a 684km (425-mile) border with Hadramout and views the province as vital to its national security, while Oman has similar concerns about al-Mahra on its frontier.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Both governorates host important trade routes and energy resources that the STC considers essential for establishing an independent southern state.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">The separatist group was formed in 2017 to restore South Yemen, which existed as an independent country between 1967 and 1990.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, holds a seat on Yemen\u2019s Presidential Leadership Council but has increasingly acted independently of the government he nominally serves.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Instead of withdrawing, the STC has expanded operations into neighbouring Abyan province and declared that its ultimate goal was to seize the Yemeni capital Sanaa from the Houthis. Al-Zubaidi recently told supporters that the south stands at \u201ca critical and existential juncture\u201d requiring work to build \u201cthe institutions of the future South Arabian state\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Analysts warn the escalation could unravel Yemen\u2019s fragile truce and benefit the Houthis, who have controlled northern Yemen, including Sanaa, since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Riyadh calls seizure of oil-rich provinces \u2018unjustified escalation\u2019 as fragile anti-Houthi alliance shows cracks. Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Saudi Arabia has publicly called on Yemen\u2019s main southern separatist group to withdraw from two eastern provinces they seized this month, in a move that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4875,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6519"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6519\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}