YEMEN – Welcome to The State Signal’s comprehensive overview on latest developments from Yemen.
Even after ending the presence of UAE military personnel on its soil, the Yemeni presidential council said on Thursday that relations between the 2 nations hasn’t been severed.
“The decision to end the Emirati military presence was meant to correct the course of (the Saudi-led) coalition…in a way that ensures the cessation of any support for components outside the state,” Rashd al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, said during a meeting with his advisers, as cited by the state news agency Saba.
“This does not mean a rupture in relations, or a denial of bilateral relations, or the legacy of cooperation based on common interests between the two brotherly countries,” he added.
On Tuesday, Alimi cancelled a joint defense agreement with the UAE and ordered all Emirati forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours and declared a 90-day state of emergency, citing what he described as “attempts to divide the country.”
The move came amid rising tensions after the Southern Transitional Council (STC), the country’s main separatist group, captured the eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra after clashes with government forces. The two governorates together make up nearly half of Yemen’s land area.
Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pushing the STC forces to carry out military operations along the kingdom’s southern border in Hadhramout and Mahra. The UAE rejected what it called “allegations” and stressed its commitment to Saudi Arabia’s security.
The Emirati Defense Ministry later said it had completed the mission of its remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen, adding that it ended its military presence in 2019 as part of the Saudi-led coalition.
Alimi said the recent measures “were not driven by a desire for escalation or revenge, but were a legal and ethical response to the state’s duty to protect its citizens.” He warned against any attempts to circumvent these decisions.
Presidential council member Abdullah Al-Alimi, for his part, urged the STC to avoid fueling unrest or pushing the situation to further escalation.
In a post on the US social media company X, Abdullah said the room is still open for reducing tensions and preventing bloodshed “by making real withdrawals from Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.”
He warned that opening a new front of conflict in Yemen would inevitably impact the country’s economic, social and living conditions and would further intensify the suffering of an already exhausted population.
The STC repeatedly claims that successive governments have politically and economically marginalized southern regions and calls for their separation from the north – claims rejected by the Yemeni authorities, as they insist on preserving the country’s territorial unity.
The STC-affiliated AIC channel claimed that Saudi Arabia halted domestic and international flights to and from Aden airport, leading to a complete suspension of operations at the facility.
The airport operates flights primarily to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, which operates under STC authority under a power-sharing arrangement with the internationally recognized government, condemned what it described as sudden Saudi measures, citing inspections of flights arriving from Aden to the kingdom.
The ministry said it has received a memo from the Saudi-led Arab coalition stating that all international flights must transit through Jeddah Airport for inspection before continuing to their destinations.
A senior government source, however, denied reports that the Yemeni authorities had issued directives to shut down the Aden airport.
The state news agency Saba, citing the source, said aviation authorities, in coordination with the Saudi-led coalition, applied “limited regulatory measures” for certain external destinations, without giving further details.
These measures “are part of de-escalation efforts,” he said.
Hadhramaut Governor Warns STC to Withdraw or Face Military Action
Hadhramaut Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi said on Thursday that the Southern Transitional Council (STC) has no option but to fully withdraw forces from the eastern Yemeni province or face a military confrontation.
“The problem still exists as the STC has not withdrawn yet. It has no choice but to fully and unconditionally withdraw or face a military confrontation,” he said in an interview with Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV.
He accused the STC forces of seeking to seize control of oil resources in the province.
These forces “will not withdraw peacefully as expected,” Khanbashi said.
Military Operation Launched in Hadhramaut
The governor of Yemen’s Hadhramaut province announced on Friday the launch of an operation to take control of military sites within its borders, saying the move aims to neutralize weapons and protect the province from “dangerous scenarios that serve only chaos.”
Salem Al-Khanbashi, whose administration operates under Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said the operation, dubbed “Taking Over the Camps,” seeks the peaceful and orderly handover of military sites across the province, according to a statement carried by SABA, Yemen’s state news agency.
“This operation does not target any political or social component, does not target civilians, and does not affect the lives or interests of citizens in any way,” Al-Khanbashi said.
He rejected claims that the move amounts to an escalation or a declaration of war, describing it instead as a preventive measure aimed at removing weapons from chaos and preventing military camps from being used to threaten the security of Hadhramaut and its people.
The operation, he added, is intended to shield the province from “dangerous scenarios that serve only chaos and the enemies of the state.”
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