Southern Yemen Faction Claims Control, Seeks US Partnership Against Iran-Backed Groups

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) claims it now controls all eight southern governorates and is positioning itself as a potential frontline partner for the United States against Iran-backed Houthis and other militant groups in the region.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Ahmed Atef, the STC’s representative to the United States and United Nations, expressed hope for expanded cooperation with Washington across military, diplomatic, and economic fronts.

“All kinds of support are welcome,” Atef stated. “President Trump is very courageous and very strong, and we are really looking forward to his support.”

The STC has emerged as the dominant power in southern Yemen with significant backing from the United Arab Emirates. Formed in April 2017, the council unites factions seeking to reestablish an independent South Yemen—reviving the state that existed from 1967 until unification in 1990.

The group’s recent territorial advances have drawn international concern. Last week, the head of Yemen’s internationally recognized government called on the STC to withdraw from territories they captured in southeastern Yemen. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Wednesday that Yemen faces “a dangerous new escalation” following STC advances in the eastern governorates of Hadramawt and al-Mahra.

Guterres cautioned that such unilateral actions risk “deepening divisions, hardening positions and accelerating fragmentation, with potential spillover effects on regional security,” including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Horn of Africa.

Bridget Toomey, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that U.S. support for southern secession would contradict stated American policy, which recognizes one unified Yemen. However, she noted that backing the STC as a counterterrorism partner “would not necessarily be at odds with the government,” particularly since the STC and its leadership are already part of Yemen’s governing framework.

Yemen’s Fractured Landscape

Yemen’s protracted civil war has effectively split the country. In the north, Iran-backed Houthi rebels control the capital Sanaa and much of western Yemen. In the south, STC-aligned forces dominate Aden—the temporary capital—and a belt of inland and coastal regions including Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, Hadramout, and al-Mahra.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, which the United States supports, is formally based in Aden but remains fragmented. The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council serves as the recognized authority, relying heavily on competing factions—including the STC—to govern, confront the Houthis, and maintain territorial control.

“The government has faced serious economic, oversight and capacity challenges and has struggled to deliver basic services,” Toomey explained, adding that this situation has been “compounded by the ongoing fight against the Houthis and Yemen’s broader humanitarian crisis.”

This reliance on various factions has generated friction. Yemen’s internationally recognized government has accused STC-affiliated forces of conducting deadly attacks in Hadramout and warned that the group’s expansion risks sparking conflict between rival anti-Houthi factions. Officials have urged the STC to withdraw from recently seized eastern areas, cautioning that unilateral moves could destabilize the fragile balance in the south.

Atef rejected these characterizations, describing the Hadramout operation as a success demonstrating the STC’s capability to fight what he termed hostile forces operating with the Houthis. He accused these forces of collaborating with “Houthi terrorists” and maintained that STC actions strengthened rather than undermined security.

Houthis: A “Regional and Global” Threat

The STC representative portrayed the Houthis as a destabilizing force extending beyond Yemen’s borders, citing their slogan of “death to America, death to Israel.”

“As long as the Houthis maintain control of Sanaa,” he warned, “they will continue threatening maritime traffic in the Red Sea, continue threatening us in the South and Saudi Arabia, and continue threatening the UAE and the Gulf region.”

Atef accused Houthi factions of cooperating with extremist groups, including Somalia’s al-Shabab, and receiving training and support from Iran and Hezbollah. He dismissed prospects for a negotiated political settlement with the Houthis, stating: “It is impossible. We will talk the language that the Houthis understand.”

Seeking Economic and Security Partnership

Atef repeatedly positioned the STC as a natural U.S. partner on counterterrorism and regional stability. He praised former President Donald Trump’s decision to designate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and efforts targeting branches of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“In Yemen, we have Muslim Brotherhood. We believe that they are terrorists. We believe that they sponsor terrorism,” Atef said.

The STC representative also emphasized economic opportunities, stating that the council intends to open southern Yemen’s oil, agriculture, fisheries, and tourism industries to American companies. “We invite U.S. companies to come and explore the oil fields and help us in getting revenues to develop our people,” he said.

The STC’s ultimate objective, according to Atef, is establishing an independent, pro-Western South Yemen that can secure its territory while helping counter Iran’s regional influence.

“Once we have got this front against the Houthis strengthened and emboldened with the support of the international community and the United States,” he said, “that is going to help us very much on the ground to continue our fight and bring stability and peace to the region.”