Aidarus al-Zoubaidi

Force in Play

Fled to UAE, charged with treason by Yemen government

Saudi Arabia and the UAE fought a proxy war in Yemen in January 2026 when UAE-backed separatists seized Aden and the oil fields. Saudi-backed forces crushed the rebellion within a week; the STC announced dissolution on January 9 but immediately rejected it.

Updated May 20

Force in Play

Leading December 2025 offensive to capture southern Yemen

Saudi Arabia bombed a port on December 30 to destroy weapons the UAE had shipped to the Southern Transitional Council, which had just seized 80% of Yemen's oil reserves. A vessel named Greenland had disabled its tracking system after leaving Fujairah on December 22 and unloaded combat vehicles and weapons at Mukalla on December 28 for the STC.

Updated May 18