Riyadh signals shift toward Aden despite STC’s welcome of Saudi-led dialogue

ADEN, Jan. 04 (YPA)- Despite the Southern Transitional Council (STC) welcoming Saudi Arabia’s invitation to host a South-South dialogue conference, a new escalation has emerged, signaling a different approach by Riyadh toward the city of Aden, the main stronghold of the UAE-backed STC.

The escalation came through a statement issued by Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council aligned with the Saudi-led coalition, which included threats of “decisive measures” against Aden in response to attacks reportedly targeting residents from northern provinces.

The statement indirectly suggested a potential move to assert control over Aden, the STC’s primary military and political base.

According to observers, Al-Alimi’s statement cannot be separated from the Saudi position and is widely read as a direct message from Riyadh to the STC, implying that Aden could be the next target following Hadhramaut and Mahra if the STC refuses to hand over military camps and sites it still controls in Aden, Al-Dhalea, Lahj, and Shabwah, as well as Socotra Island.

This development is part of a broader Saudi strategy aimed at reshaping the balance of power in Yemen’s occupied provinces and politically and militarily sidelining the STC, ensuring the exclusion of the UAE, the coalition’s key partner in the war and administration of these Yemeni territories.

@E.Y.M