As the Houthis continue on the path to war against Saudi Arabia and the United States, an entirely different conflict brewing among the anti-Houthi alliance in Yemen threatens to derail the U.S. position in the region.While the Houthis joined the post-Oct. 7, 2023, wars against Israel in defense of Hamas, the Yemeni civil war that brought the Houthis to power has remained frozen around the 2022 ceasefire. In a development that surprised many, a brief war broke out within Yemen late last year, but between the Houthis’ two chief rivals, the separatist Southern Transitional Council, backed by the United Arab Emirates, and the Presidential Leadership Council, backed by Saudi Arabia. The brief flare-up ended when Saudi Arabia pressured the UAE to withdraw from Yemen, then backed a lightning offensive that brought the STC under PLC control. A large STC delegation was sent to Riyadh, where it has been held since January. The delegation announced the dissolution of the STC.
Thousands of supporters of the Southern Transitional Council gather Monday, May 4, 2026, at Parade Square in Aden, Yemen, to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the council’s founding. (AP Photo)
With a clear defeat for the STC, international attention has shifted back toward the Houthis and the primary divide of the civil war. The situation is far from resolved in the southeast, however, and though dissolved on paper, in practice the STC is still very much active. Many officials were able to flee the capital of Aden before it fell to PLC forces, and have been trying to rally support for their cause. With coordination from this exiled group, STC supporters have increasingly clashed with the PLC, and the situation has grown increasingly tense in recent months.The Washington Examiner spoke with Amr al Bidh, whom the STC identifies as a member of its leadership council and its chief of foreign affairs, who warned the possibility of a new conflict within the anti-Houthi alliance is growing by the day.“Would it move towards military escalation? For now, our position is no. We don’t want that,” Bidh said of the current situation. “But is it probable? Definitely, it might.”Mohammed al Basha, a Washington-based Yemen analyst and former Yemeni official, told the Washington Examiner that a new civil war between the STC and PLC was unlikely at this exact moment, while the conflict with the Houthis ramps up.However, he warned that “in the future, yes, that is a scenario.”Regrouping the Southern Cause
