Photograph: AFP via Getty ImagesWith backing from Saudi Arabia, Yemeni government-allied forces recaptured an oil-rich region of their country this weekend from armed separatists who were trying to form a breakaway state. The separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council, seized control of most of southern Yemen in a swift offensive last month. Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, two oil-rich US allies, are increasingly at odds. The convoy flew the flag of the Nation Shield Forces, a group backed by Saudi Arabia but that is technically subordinate to the Yemeni government. The next step is likely to be a diplomatic conference, convened by Saudi Arabia, to discuss the future of southern Yemen.

Source: The Irish Times January 05, 2026 00:32 UTC