UAE-Backed Separatists Escalate Yemen Conflict, Undermining Regional Stability and U.S. Interests

The fragile balance that maintained relative calm in Yemen’s decade-long civil war has been shattered as the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) seized control of oil-rich southern provinces, including Hadramout and Mahra. This aggressive move not only rekindles fighting within an already fractured nation but also threatens to destabilize the broader Persian Gulf region—an area critical to global energy supplies and U.S. strategic interests. Yemen has long been a battleground where competing regional powers play out proxy conflicts. The Iran-aligned Houthis control northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, while a loose coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE supports...