Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC)

UAE-backed Yemeni Southern Transitional Council denies disbandment rumors

The Southern Transitional Council denied that it was disbanding on Saturday, contradicting a statement by one of its members that the group had decided to dissolve itself.

|ByREUTERS
A soldier stands guard outside the headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, Yemen January 8, 2026.
A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Saudi Arabia draws red line in Yemen, reasserting Middle East role - analysis

Is it possible that Riyadh’s decision to move quickly to stop the STC in late December was linked to larger strategy issues in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden?

|BySETH J. FRANTZMAN
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold a poster of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the STC's leader, who, according to the Saudi-backed coalition, fled to an unknown destination, in Aden, Yemen, December 21, 2025.

UAE helped separatist leader Zubaidi flee Yemen ahead of peace talks, Saudi coalition says

The head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council left Yemen by boat for Somaliland, before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that was later tracked to an airport in Abu Dhabi.

|ByREUTERS
Aidarous al-Zubaidi answers a journalist's question during an interview with AFP at the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos on January 18, 2024.

Southern Yemen leader Zubaidi disappears, resurfaces in Aden after missing Saudi talks

Hours after its leader's unexplained absence, the Southern Transitional Council said he was in Aden overseeing military and security operations.

|ByREUTERS

Quiet after gunfire targeting unidentified drones heard near Yemen's presidential palace

Aden and adjacent areas are currently controlled by the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). The leader of the STC had been residing in the palace, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByREUTERS
A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Yemen’s southern upheaval creates new risks, opportunities for Israel - opinion

Territorial shifts in southern Yemen may help Israel counter the Houthis or deepen regional instability.

JANUARY 6, 2026ByYOSSI MANSHAROF, NOA LAZIMI
The South Yemen flag flies as soldiers from the Southern Transitional Council stand guard outside the compound of the Presidential Palace in Aden, Yemen, December 9, 2025.

Yemen's southern separatists welcome Saudi call for dialogue amid Saudi-UAE rift

Yemen’s southern separatists welcomed a Saudi call for dialogue as fighting eased in the south, raising hopes of de-escalation in a rare public rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

JANUARY 4, 2026ByREUTERS, GOLDIE KATZ
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold a poster of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Yemen calls for Saudi Arabia hold peace summit with UAE, Southern Transition Council

Saudi Arabia vowed to provide a “suitable environment for dialogue,” calling upon “all southern factions to participate in the conference to develop a comprehensive vision for just solutions."

JANUARY 3, 2026ByGOLDIE KATZ
Still image from a social media video claiming to show Saudi airstrikes targeting Southern Transitional Council (STC) positions in Sayoun, Yemen, released on January 2, 2026.

Which countries, movements, groups are involved in Yemen's yearslong conflict? - explainer

Yemen's more than decade-long civil war has flared up after a United Arab Emirates-backed separatist movement swept through territory in the south, splintering the Saudi-led coalition.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByREUTERS
Members of UAE-backed southern Yemeni separatists forces are seen together with their supporters as they march during a rally in southern port city in Aden, Yemen August 15, 2019.

Yemen's Hadramout Saudi-backed governor announces 'peaceful operation' to reclaim military sites

Flights were halted on Thursday at Yemen’s Aden international airport, the main international gateway for regions of the country outside Houthi control.

JANUARY 2, 2026ByREUTERS, SETH J. FRANTZMAN
A flag of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) flutters on a military patrol truck, at the site of a rally by STC supporters in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026.

Yemen’s Aden airport shut by STC-backed transport minister, Saudi source says

A shutdown of Aden airport was ordered by the transportation minister in the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) that runs southern Yemen, a Saudi source told Reuters on Thursday.

JANUARY 1, 2026BySETH J. FRANTZMAN, REUTERS
A Yemen Airways (Yemenia) plane stands at Aden Airport in Aden, Yemen January 1, 2026.

How the UAE built its sphere of influence across the region, including role in Yemen - explainer

From Yemen and Sudan to Israel and Somaliland, the UAE has built a wide network of allies, investments, and security ties aimed at countering political Islam and shaping regional power dynamics.

DECEMBER 31, 2025ByREUTERS, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the United Arab Emirates and of the STC, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, December 30, 2025.