Thousands rally in Aden supporting Southern Transitional Council

HotTV

Thousands rally in Aden supporting Southern Transitional Council

2026-01-11 16:37 Last Updated At：01-12 23:17

Thousands of people rallied in Yemen's southern port city of Aden on Saturday in a show of support for the Southern Transitional Council (STC), amid conflicting reports over the group's alleged self-dissolution.

Pro-secession participants, some traveling from neighboring southern provinces, gathered in Aden, the seat of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC). Demonstrators held portraits of STC leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi and chanted slogans accusing Saudi Arabia of backing the PLC's efforts to retake areas previously seized by the STC.

"We rushed to the square from all directions to protest the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council," said Abdul Qawi Mohammed, a protester.

The STC, a group seeking southern Yemen's independence and allegedly backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), seized parts of southern and eastern Yemen in December in advances that heightened tensions with Saudi Arabia.

Over the past few days, Saudi-backed forces largely regained control of these areas. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the PLC, said in a televised statement on Saturday that all contested cities had been brought under their control.

On Friday, an STC delegation in Riyadh announced on Saudi state media the dissolution of the group. However, the STC's leadership strongly denied this, describing it as "fabricated and legally void." The council said the claims were made under coercion and without any legitimate authority, insisting that it remains intact and continues to operate normally.

The STC delegation was in Riyadh for political consultations but was reportedly detained. Al-Zubaidi, the STC leader, did not attend the talks and had secretly left Yemen for the UAE.

Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into Yemen's ruling PLC in 2022, the STC continues to push for sovereignty for the south, fueling recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources.

Trump extends ceasefire; Iran vows military response to naval blockade

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he will extend the two-week ceasefire with Iran that was set to expire on Wednesday night (midnight GMT Tuesday).

"Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The U.S. president said he will "extend the ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other."

The U.S. military will continue the blockade against Iran and "remain ready and able," according to Trump.

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X Tuesday that the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports is "an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire" and attacking Iranian merchant ships and detaining their crew members were even more serious violations.

"Iran knows how to neutralize restrictions, how to defend its interests, and how to resist bullying," Araghchi wrote in his post.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also said the U.S. blockade must be met with a military response, dismissing Trump's ceasefire extension announcement as "meaningless".

"Extending the ceasefire by Trump has no meaning. The losing side cannot dictate terms. Continuing the blockade is no different from bombing and must be met with a military response. Moreover, any extension of the ceasefire by Trump is certainly a way to buy time for a surprise attack. Now is the time for Iran to take the initiative," Mohammadi posted on X.