Saudi envoy says leader of Yemen separatist group STC blocked delegation's Aden landing
1/2/2026 11:46:00 AM
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen said on Friday that Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), refused landing permission the previous day for a plane carrying a Saudi delegation to Aden.
The halt in flights at Aden international airport was the latest sign of a deepening crisis between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
"For several weeks and until yesterday, the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation ... but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi," the Saudi ambassador, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said on X.
The halt in flights at Aden international airport was the latest sign of a deepening crisis between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
"For several weeks and until yesterday, the Kingdom sought to make all efforts with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation ... but it faced continuous rejection and stubbornness from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi," the Saudi ambassador, Mohammed Al-Jaber, said on X.