Tensions Flare as Yemen's Mukalla Port Strike Fractures Gulf Alliances

The **Southern Transitional Council (STC)** is a UAE-backed separatist organization founded in May 2017, led by Aydarus al-Zubaydi, advocating for South Yemen's independence from the north to restore the pre-1990 People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.[1][2][3] Emerging from the Southern Movement amid Yemen's civil war, it unites political, social, and military leaders to combat marginalization, counter terrorism via groups like the Security Belt Forces and Giants Brigades, and promote self-determination, stability, and democratic governance.[1][2][3] Historically, the STC aligned with the anti-Houthi coalition but clashed with Yemen's Internationally Recognized Government (IRG), seizing Aden in 2019.[2][3] Key achievements include the 2019 Riyadh Agreement, securing ministerial portfolios like Defense and Interior, and the 2020 power-sharing cabinet that integrated STC forces into national structures while enabling UN peace talks participation.[2][3] In April 2022, Zubaydi joined the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), enhancing its national leverage, followed by a 2023 decree forming a Supreme Executive Leadership with southern governors and commanders.[2] Currently, the STC dominates security in southern governorates like Aden, Abyan, Lahj, al-Dhali', and Socotra through its Southern Armed Forces, monitoring threats in Hadhramaut via operations like "Promising Future."[2][3][4] It maintains a US-UN office to lobby policymakers, diaspora, and think tanks for recognition of southern aspirations, fostering dialogue on human rights and regional stability.[1] Though not universally endorsed by all southern factions, the STC's UAE support and military prowess position it as a pivotal player in Yemen's fractured landscape, reshaping north-south dynamics essential for peace.[3] For business and tech observers, its control over strategic ports like Aden could influenc

**Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)** is a **Sunni Islamist militant organization** based in Yemen that emerged in January 2009 through a merger of al-Qaeda's Yemeni and Saudi branches.[1][4] As a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, AQAP is considered the most active and lethal al-Qaeda affiliate, prioritizing attacks against Western targets and the U.S. homeland.[1][4] ## Core Objectives and Operations AQAP seeks to overthrow the Yemeni government, establish an Islamic emirate, and purge Muslim countries of Western influence.[1][2] The organization operates under a hierarchical structure led by an emir who oversees all activities through consultation with a Shura Council.[1] Beyond Yemen, AQAP has conducted high-profile international attacks, including the 2009 attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris, and the 2019 Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting.[1][3] ## Territorial Control and Expansion Between 2011 and 2012, AQAP controlled towns in southern Yemen's Abyan and Shabwa provinces, establishing Islamic "emirates."[2] The group later formed a stronghold in Mukalla, Hadramawt Governorate, where it seized government facilities and robbed banks.[3] AQAP benefited significantly from Yemen's civil war, gaining control of majority-Sunni areas.[4] ## Current Status and Evolution Recent assessments indicate AQAP has become weaker and harder to define than at almost any point since its formation.[6] The organization has fragmented into disparate elements aligned with various militias pursuing political and economic agendas rather than purely ideological goals.[

## Overview of the Saudi-led Coalition The **Saudi-led coalition** is a multinational military alliance formed in March 2015, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in response to the ousting of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi by Houthi rebels[1][3]. The coalition’s core mission was to restore Hadi’s government, counter the advance of the Houthi movement (which it viewed as an Iranian proxy), and stabilize Yemen amid escalating civil war[1][2][3]. At its inception, the coalition included nine to ten Arab states and received logistical and intelligence support from the United States and other Western allies[1][3]. ## History and Operations The intervention began with **Operation Decisive Storm**, a massive air campaign targeting Houthi positions and Yemen’s military infrastructure, followed by a land, sea, and air blockade to enforce a UN arms embargo[1][3]. Ground forces, including Saudi, Emirati, and Sudanese troops, were later deployed to support Yemeni resistance fighters[1]. The coalition retook key cities like Aden and Mukalla, and trained southern Yemeni militias that later formed the Southern Transitional Council[1]. Despite these efforts, the conflict quickly became a protracted proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with devastating humanitarian consequences[3][7]. ## Key Achievements and Challenges The coalition’s most notable achievement was halting the Houthi-Saleh alliance’s territorial expansion, particularly their advance into southern Yemen[2]. However, the intervention failed to decisively defeat the Houthis or restore the Yemeni government’s authority over the entire country[2]. The war caused widespread destruction, thousands of civilian casualties, and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing millions and crippling Yemen’s infrastructure[7]. The coalition’s blockade and airstrikes drew international criticism for