The internationally recognized Yemeni government, known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), announced that its forces have regained control of two strategic southern provinces from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) after a month of fighting. The UAE-backed STC had seized the oil-rich Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces near the Saudi border in early December 2025. Saudi Arabia, which supports the PLC, viewed the move as a national security threat and responded with airstrikes on STC positions, including the key port of Mukalla.

The PLC, led by Rashad al-Alimi since 2022, operates from Aden and aims to unify anti-Houthi factions. The STC seeks an independent southern Yemen and rejected reports of its dissolution after its leader was dismissed from the PLC in January 2026. Meanwhile, Iran-backed Houthi rebels continue to control much of northern and western Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the Red Sea coast.

According to the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, the Houthis hold northwestern Yemen, while the government claims most of the rest. The UN reports that 17 million Yemenis face severe food shortages, with millions displaced and dependent on humanitarian aid.