News - Yemen: Member of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Abdulaziz Saleh bin Habtoor, has said that the tragic events unfolding in the country’s southern and eastern provinces are part of an “old–new plot” engineered by the countries of the aggression, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In remarks to June News Agency on Monday, bin Habtoor pointed to information indicating direct coordination between the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Israeli entity. He cited public statements by Israeli War Minister Israel Katz as reflecting this direction, warning that they signal a “dangerous indicator” of attempts to establish the first official foothold for the Israeli enemy in Aden, amid Emirati moves he said serve global Zionist interests in the region.

Bin Habtoor argued that any party aligning itself with the Emirati agenda is, in effect, serving the Zionist project. He cautioned against what he termed “emotional illusions” portraying developments in the south as an “independence project,” stressing that such claims are a falsehood promoted by Zionist ideologues and their agents in the region.

He further asserted that current developments constitute a direct continuation of the Saudi-Emirati aggression against Yemen, holding accountable all those who participate in or support this course, and warning that they will face “a difficult reckoning” in the days ahead.

Echoing bin Habtoor’s remarks, a Hebrew-language analysis highlighted Israel’s alleged links to developments in southern Yemen, arguing that the region’s wealth could provide the Israeli enemy with strategic alternatives. The analysis suggested that the expanding influence of UAE-backed forces could pave the way for a new regional reality granting the Israeli enemy presence, influence, and significant strategic gains.

According to an analysis published by The Jerusalem Post, the Zionist entity could benefit from a potential secession of southern Yemen, noting that the region’s resources offer alternatives in energy and economics. The newspaper described the STC as a significant regional ally in a highly sensitive geopolitical area near vital maritime routes in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

The analysis added that having an ally in southern Yemen would enable the Israeli enemy to build a more cohesive front against Sana’a forces, given the south’s status as a key area of Emirati influence. It also noted that natural resources in the southern provinces—particularly oil, gas, and minerals—could make a prospective southern entity an attractive economic partner for Israel and several Arab states with which it has recently established relations.

Such a shift, the analysis said, could alter regional power balances and enable new actors to assert a strong presence in the evolving geopolitical landscape, pointing to the possibility of Israeli presence in parts of Yemen. It also recalled previous statements by STC President Aidrous al-Zubaidi expressing a desire to normalize relations with the Israeli enemy, potentially opening the door to political and economic cooperation.

However, the newspaper noted that this scenario is unlikely to have a direct impact on operations by Sana’a forces deep inside Israeli-held territory or in the Red Sea, indicating that security challenges would persist despite any changes to Yemen’s political map.

Yemen’s southern and eastern provinces have witnessed growing political and security tensions amid competing regional agendas and continued fallout from years of conflict. Officials in Sana’a have repeatedly accused the Saudi-led coalition and its allies of seeking to fragment the country and control strategic areas and resources.