UAE-Backed Separatists Seize Southern Yemen Oil Hubs, Threatening Wider Gulf Tensions

A UAE-backed separatist force has seized large parts of southern Yemen — including major oil facilities and strategic ports — breaking a fragile lull in the country’s decade-long civil war and raising new risks for regional stability and international shipping lanes.

What Happened

The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a secessionist movement supported by the United Arab Emirates, this month took control of much of Hadramout and Mahra provinces, securing key infrastructure including the PetroMasila oil complex, port facilities and a border crossing with Oman. In Aden, forces aligned with the STC also occupied the presidential palace, the seat of the Presidential Leadership Council.

Background

Yemen has been mired for more than a decade in a complex civil war involving local grievances and heavy regional intervention. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement controls much of the north and the capital, Sanaa, while a loose anti-Houthi bloc — including Saudi Arabia and the UAE — has backed the internationally recognized government in the south.

Since 2022 violence had eased after an understanding between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia reduced cross-border attacks, creating a tentative stalemate. The STC’s recent moves threaten to upend that fragile balance by pitting two partners in the anti-Houthi camp against one another on the ground.

Forces and Motives

The STC, formed in April 2017 to press for southern independence, enjoys substantial financial and military support from the UAE and commands deep loyalty across much of southern Yemen. It is chaired by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who also serves as a vice president on the Presidential Leadership Council.

The principal opponents in the latest clashes are units of the Yemeni military loyal to the internationally recognized government and the Hadramout Tribal Alliance — a local tribal coalition backed by Saudi Arabia. Those forces had briefly seized the PetroMasila facility in late November to press demands for a larger share of oil revenues and improved services, an episode the STC appears to have used to justify expanding its control.

Regional Response And Risks

Saudi Arabia dispatched a delegation to Hadramout and called for calm. Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Qahtani, who led the Saudi team, said Riyadh “rejects any attempts to impose a fait accompli” in the province.

"The group has gone beyond the Saudi-led arrangements," said Ahmed Nagi, a senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, adding that the UAE appears to be the main beneficiary of the STC’s advance.

The seizure of oil facilities and ports in southern Yemen threatens not only domestic stability but also security along vital shipping routes near the Gulf of Aden and the southern approaches to the Red Sea. Analysts warn the clashes could complicate efforts to negotiate a comprehensive peace and may intensify rivalries among regional patrons.

What This Means

The STC’s strengthened hold over southern provinces gives it greater leverage in any future negotiations and reinforces its long-standing demand for southern self-determination. At the same time, the rift between UAE-backed separatists and Saudi-aligned forces risks widening local violence and creating new pressures on an already catastrophic humanitarian situation.

Key facts: The STC now controls much of southern Yemen including the PetroMasila oil complex, key ports and a border crossing with Oman. The move has strained relationships within the anti-Houthi coalition and prompted diplomatic efforts by Saudi Arabia to de-escalate tensions.