{"id":11140,"date":"2026-01-03T19:44:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T16:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mokhacenter.org\/?p=11140"},"modified":"2026-01-03T19:45:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T16:45:38","slug":"11140","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mokhacenter.org\/en\/11140\/","title":{"rendered":"Eastern Yemen Current Development and Future Scenarios"},"content":{"rendered":"<h4><span style=\"color: #2088c9;\"><b>Sovereign Decisions<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On December 30, 2025, President Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, decided to cancel the joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates and requested that all Emirati forces leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours. The decision marked a notable development following nearly a month of incursions by UAE-backed forces into the governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Al-Alimi\u2019s decision came as part of a broader set of measures that included declaring a 90-day state of emergency \u2014 extendable \u2014 as well as imposing an air, sea, and land blockade on all entry points for 72 hours, except for movements authorized by the Arab Coalition to Support Legitimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decisions followed an airstrike carried out by coalition fighter jets, led by Saudi Arabia, targeting weapons shipments transported by two Emirati vessels arriving from Fujairah Port, which had offloaded their cargo at the Port of Mukalla in Hadhramaut \u2014 part of the ongoing Emirati support to secessionist armed formations loyal to Abu Dhabi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the aftermath of the airstrike and the decisions issued by the Yemeni presidency, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement supporting the measures and describing the UAE\u2019s actions in Yemen as \u201cinconsistent with the foundations upon which the Coalition to Support Legitimacy was established.\u201d The statement added: \u201cWe regret the pressure exerted by the UAE on the Southern Transitional Council to conduct operations in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, and we stress the importance of halting any military or financial support to any party inside Yemen.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the Saudi statement, denying the accusations it contained and affirming that \u201cits position since the beginning of the events in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra has aimed at containing the situation and supporting de-escalation.\u201d Abu Dhabi also denied \u201cdirecting any Yemeni party to carry out military operations that would threaten Saudi security,\u201d stressing its keenness on the security and stability of Riyadh and its full respect for Saudi sovereignty and national security.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subsequently, the UAE Ministry of Defense announced that its forces in Yemen would begin to withdraw. Indeed, the forces quickly dismantled their camps and bases in Hadhramaut and Shabwa, and military personnel departed aboard several transport aircraft observed by eyewitnesses leaving Al-Rayyan Airport in Mukalla, only hours after President Al-Alimi\u2019s decision and the Saudi Foreign Ministry\u2019s statement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In reaction to the presidential decisions, four members of the Presidential Leadership Council aligned with the UAE (Al-Zubaidi, Al-Bahsani, Al-Mahrami, and Tariq Saleh) issued a joint statement expressing their rejection of the measures and emphasizing that Abu Dhabi\u2019s role had been positive and supportive in confrontations with the Houthis. While such a statement was expected, it simultaneously reinforced the narrative that the UAE supports certain actors and entities to establish parallel structures, alternative authorities, and armed formations outside the framework of the state\u2019s official institutions \u2014 directing them toward its own objectives at the expense of the coalition\u2019s declared goal of restoring legitimacy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #2088c9;\"><b>Toward Open Confrontation<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once it became clear that all domestic and external efforts had failed to calm the situation and restore conditions to what they were, the Yemeni presidency \u2014 with Saudi support \u2014 began taking practical measures aimed at asserting state authority and preserving sovereignty and territorial unity. Confrontation with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), politically and militarily if necessary, had become unavoidable \u2014 especially after all efforts at de-escalation and containment had been exhausted, and after the STC itself initiated escalation by ordering its forces to enter Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the official Yemeni news agency, the National Defense Council, in an emergency meeting held late last month, approved a number of measures necessary to protect civilians, safeguard the state\u2019s legal standing, and enforce its authority across political, security, economic, and administrative domains. These included a request to the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen to \u201ctake all necessary military measures to protect innocent civilians in Hadhramaut and support the armed forces in imposing calm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The coalition leadership responded to the Yemeni request by warning against any unilateral military action. Coalition spokesperson Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki explained that the response came as a result of \u201cgrave and shocking humanitarian violations committed against civilians by armed elements affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The confrontation required advancing along several simultaneous tracks. The first was the political track, which provided cover for presidential actions and decisions. This included coordination with local authorities in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra \u2014 both of which had from the outset declared support for presidential measures and Saudi efforts, and demanded the withdrawal of STC forces from the two governorates. Coordination also continued between the presidency and official institutions backing the presidential decision, including the Advisory Board, the National Defense Council, the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yemeni diplomatic missions abroad, in addition to the country\u2019s legislative institutions \u2014 the House of Representatives and the Shura Council \u2014 as well as political and social parties and groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This support was clearly reflected in the presence and endorsement of these bodies for the presidential measures, including the request submitted to the Arab Coalition leadership to move in defense of civilians in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra \u2014 a step some observers saw as a prelude to direct confrontation with STC forces, whose incursions were increasingly viewed by the public and analysts as unilateral actions amounting to rebellion against state institutions and the national consensus process, including the Riyadh Agreement and the decision establishing the transfer of power.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this context, it was notable to see the highest state bodies convene and align in support of the presidential measures. This became evident through a series of meetings led by the Chairman of the PLC before and after the issuance of key decisions, during which he met repeatedly with members of the Council \u2014 excluding those aligned with Abu Dhabi \u2014 as well as members of the National Defense Council, the Prime Minister, the Advisory Board, leaders of the legislative authorities, the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, and senior military and security officials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A few days after the incursions into Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, the Chairman of the PLC met with the ambassadors of countries sponsoring the political process in Yemen. He stressed that \u201cpartnership with the international community is not merely a partnership in aid, but a shared responsibility to protect the idea of the state, support its legitimate institutions, and prevent the consolidation of parallel authorities.\u201d He added that the unilateral measures taken by the Southern Transitional Council \u201cconstitute a clear violation of the foundations of the transitional phase, a direct threat to unified security and military decision-making, an undermining of legitimate government authority, and a serious danger to stability and to the future of the political process as a whole.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Domestically, opposition to STC control increased among residents of the two governorates. Political and social actors in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra were observed taking positions supportive of the presidency and the leadership of the Arab Coalition in confronting the STC \u2014 despite the latter\u2019s dominance, military presence, and efforts to normalize the new reality on the ground and pressure local officials to accept it. The STC had framed its campaign \u2014 which brought its forces into areas of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra \u2014 as the \u201cPromising Future\u201d operation. However, statements and mass gatherings made clear a broad rejection of STC control, as reflected in positions taken by the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance, the Inclusive Hadhramaut Conference, the National Council, and other local actors, leaders, and social and political figures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the same time, the Yemeni presidency was careful to draw a clear distinction between the \u201csouthern issue\u201d \u2014 recognized by all as a legitimate political cause \u2014 and the STC as a political actor seeking to achieve its own gains in the name of that cause by presenting itself as the sole representative of citizens in the southern governorates. This distinction was echoed in the political and media discourse of the Arab Coalition leadership, as well as among Yemeni and Saudi officials, writers, journalists, and activists \u2014 including many Yemenis from the southern governorates and from the eastern governorates of Al-Mahra and Hadhramaut.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his message to Yemenis, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman stated that Saudi Arabia has dealt with the southern issue as a just political cause that cannot be ignored, reduced to individuals, or exploited in conflicts that do not serve its essence or its future. In doing so, he summarized the Saudi position on the southern question, distancing it from the STC\u2019s attempts to equate the cause with whatever privileges or gains it secures.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Confirming this stance, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber said: \u201cExploiting the southern issue and bidding on it for personal gain \u2014 while excluding and marginalizing the people of the southern governorates \u2014 has harmed the cause and deprived it of the gains achieved, whether through the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, or the 2022 power-transfer declaration.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For his part, the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council stated that the southern cause is just and lies at the heart of the state-building project, but that no one holds an alternative mandate on behalf of southerners, and \u201cno one has the right to instrumentalize the southern cause for political ends.\u201d This position seeks to block the STC\u2019s persistent efforts \u2014 since its establishment with Emirati backing and funding in May 2017 \u2014 to monopolize representation of the south and the southern cause.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the same context, the strategy for confronting the STC focused on cutting off its sources of financing and Emirati support and armament \u2014 chiefly by removing the UAE and its forces from Yemen, declaring a state of emergency, and striking large quantities of weapons, equipment, and military vehicles en route to STC units in Hadhramaut. However, some channels of supply and communication between Abu Dhabi and the forces loyal to it are believed to remain open, albeit indirectly and discreetly, while Saudi naval forces have completed their deployment in the Arabian Sea, particularly near Yemen\u2019s coastline.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On January 2, 2026, the legitimate government launched the \u201ccamp handover\u201d process, led by the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces under the command of Hadhramaut Governor Salem Al-Khanbashi (appointed the same day). The forces began advancing toward STC-held areas in Wadi Hadhramaut, starting with the 37th Armored Brigade base in Al-Khasha\u2018a, supported by Saudi fighter aircraft. Within a few hours, the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces were able to secure large areas, reaching major towns and centers in Wadi Hadhramaut \u2014 foremost among them Seiyun and Al-Qatn.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The situation grew more complicated and tense after the President of the Southern Transitional Council announced a two-year transitional phase to be followed by a referendum on the secession of southern Yemen from the Republic of Yemen. This announcement was a clear signal that the STC considers its partnership with the legitimate government and the Arab Coalition to have ended, and that it intends to administer the areas under its control in accordance with a \u201cconstitutional declaration\u201d that it said would govern the post-referendum period. The declaration, the STC added, could enter into force if the remaining Yemeni parties do not respond to calls for dialogue with the STC on mechanisms for managing the transitional phase.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #2088c9;\"><b>Positions of the Key Actors in the Current Scene<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<ol>\n<li><b> Saudi Arabia<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the UAE\u2019s withdrawal from the coalition, Saudi Arabia became the sole leader of the Arab Coalition supporting Yemeni legitimacy. Its stance is clear: firm support for the Presidential Leadership Council, the government, and local authorities in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, coupled with strong insistence that STC forces withdraw from both governorates. For Riyadh, the issue is directly linked to Saudi national security \u2014 and it does not appear willing to compromise. To that end, Saudi Arabia has provided air support to facilitate the advance of the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces as they took control of bases in Hadhramaut, secured cities and public facilities, and protected civilians.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"2\">\n<li><b> The United Arab Emirates<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite announcing the withdrawal of its forces, the UAE\u2019s imprint remains evident in the STC\u2019s escalation and its push toward additional unilateral political and military steps that undermine Yemen\u2019s unity, weaken the legal standing of the Republic of Yemen, and jeopardize Saudi national security.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"3\">\n<li><b> The Yemeni Government and Presidency<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and its chairman, Rashad Al-Alimi \u2014 backed by the Arab Coalition, Saudi Arabia, and supportive Arab, regional, and international positions \u2014 the government has received strong political cover for measures aimed at safeguarding Yemen\u2019s independence, unity, and territorial integrity. This support enabled the adoption of several sovereign decisions in recent days, with a clear focus on restoring state authority over all areas and entry points seized by STC forces in December.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"4\">\n<li><b> Local Authorities and Political\/Social Forces in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These actors have demonstrated a strong presence by rejecting STC control and its attempts to impose a fait accompli. Their positions aligned closely with the official stance of the Yemeni leadership and its institutions, forming both a popular and institutional base that deprived the STC of political legitimacy and mass backing. Some groups \u2014 notably the Hadhramaut Tribes Alliance \u2014 even confronted the STC with arms. Despite the disparity in capabilities, the Alliance established a visible presence and strengthened its popular standing in Hadhramaut.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these three actors \u2014 Saudi Arabia, the legitimate government, and local Yemeni forces \u2014 converge on a shared objective: imposing a new reality in which the STC wields no dominance. Under this framework, Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra would remain under the administration of local authorities (civilly) and the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces (militarily). This would effectively weaken the STC by removing it from the equation in eastern Yemen \u2014 whether through military defeat, political isolation, or a combination of both, as current developments suggest.<\/span><\/p>\n<ol start=\"5\">\n<li><b> The Southern Transitional Council (STC)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite mobilizing rapidly to seize Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, the STC soon appeared cornered. It refused withdrawal and instead attempted to escalate by calling its supporters to rally and demand secession \u2014 undermining Riyadh\u2019s mediation efforts and pushing events toward confrontation. This culminated in the government\u2019s announcement of a military campaign to expel STC forces from both governorates. Rather than seize the final opportunity to withdraw, the STC issued a political declaration outlining a transitional phase followed by a secession referendum \u2014 signaling its rejection of the existing power-sharing legitimacy in liberated areas. It even threatened to accelerate secession if its forces were targeted, fully aware that Saudi strikes would continue against units refusing to withdraw from newly seized territory.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #2088c9;\"><b>Expected Scenarios<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Given current battlefield realities \u2014 with STC forces broken in Wadi Hadhramaut (Hadhramaut\u00a0Valley) and the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces advancing toward the coast \u2014 there are no indicators of a smooth withdrawal from all areas of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. Continued military operations appear likely. Several near- to medium-term scenarios can be anticipated:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Gradual resolution in favor of the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continued ground advances toward the Hadhramaut coast, supported by Saudi air and naval power, leading to the STC\u2019s removal from the entire governorate without a full-scale confrontation, while neutralizing it militarily there.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Limited escalation on the Hadhramaut coast<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The STC may resort to disrupting coastal cities through localized unrest, security incidents, or protests \u2014 aiming to exhaust the Nation\u2019s Shield Forces and complicate the situation without engaging in direct combat. Parallel pressure may come through international political and media campaigns supported by the UAE \u2014 though unlikely to change outcomes, given Saudi Arabia\u2019s clearly defined red lines.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Shift from military confrontation to political contestation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After battlefield setbacks, the STC may rely more heavily on rhetoric centered on \u201cfait accompli\u201d and \u201cpopular legitimacy,\u201d while the legitimate government \u2014 with Saudi backing \u2014 works to consolidate state authority across both governorates. Riyadh is also expected to deepen coordination with Oman to stabilize Al-Mahra, prevent security vacuums, and block competing influence, thereby reducing escalatory risks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4><span style=\"color: #2088c9;\"><b>Recommendation<\/b><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capitalize quickly on the current military advantage by consolidating state authority in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, while opening a disciplined political (or, if necessary, military) track that dismantles separatist arrangements through soft power \u2014 or, where required, by force \u2014 should the STC and its backers persist in undermining Yemen\u2019s unity and threatening Saudi and Omani national security.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h6 class=\"page-title\"><strong><div class=\"tie-center-button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mokhacenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Situation-Assessment.pdf\" class=\"shortc-button medium button\">download<\/a><\/div><\/strong><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sovereign Decisions On December 30, 2025, President Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, decided to cancel the joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates and requested that all Emirati forces leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours. The decision marked a notable development following nearly a month of incursions by UAE-backed forces into &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":11146,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36,60],"tags":[867,865,179,868],"class_list":["post-11140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analytics","category-position-evaluation","tag-al-mahrah","tag-hadramout","tag-mokha-center","tag-the-southern-transitional"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Eastern Yemen Current Development and Future Scenarios<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sovereign Decisions On December 30, 2025, President Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, decided to cancel 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