As fighting intensifies in eastern Yemen, the United States has voiced concern over the deteriorating situation, urging restraint and renewed diplomacy amid the expansion of separatist forces and rising regional tensions.
Amid escalating violence in Yemen, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday called for “restraint” and renewed diplomatic engagement to prevent further escalation. Without naming Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, Rubio urged calm while thanking both countries for their “diplomatic leadership”, despite their support for rival groups in the conflict.
“The United States is concerned by recent events in southeastern Yemen,” Rubio said in a post on X. “We urge restraint and continued diplomacy, with a view to reaching a lasting solution.” He added that Washington remains supportive of efforts to advance shared security interests in the region.
STC expands control in eastern Yemen
Since December 3, forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have taken control of parts of eastern Yemen’s Hadramout province following clashes with the Hadramout Tribes Alliance and government-aligned First Military Region forces. Four days later, STC fighters expanded their presence into Mahra province, which had been under government authority.
In response to the developments, a joint Saudi-Emirati military team was sent to Aden to coordinate arrangements with the STC aimed at returning its forces to their previous positions outside Hadramout and Mahra.
The STC takeover has sparked mounting local and regional calls for the separatist group to withdraw from the two provinces, which together account for nearly half of Yemen’s total territory.
Saudi Arabia calls for peaceful withdrawal
Saudi Arabia has urged Yemeni separatists to withdraw peacefully and hand control back to the Riyadh-backed government. Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman said the STC should “peacefully hand over” the two governorates and prioritise unity and stability by engaging with Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts.
“It is time for the Southern Transitional Council in this sensitive phase to prioritise reason, wisdom and the public interest by withdrawing its forces and handing over control peacefully to the National Shield forces and local authorities,” he said in a statement posted on X.
Airstrike claims add to tensions
Earlier, the STC claimed that Saudi Arabia carried out warning airstrikes targeting its forces. The claim was backed by the United Arab Emirates, which released a video showing the strike in Wadi Nahab in Yemen’s Hadramout province.
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