Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen accused the head of a powerful southern separatist group of blocking a Saudi diplomatic delegation from landing in Aden, underscoring how quickly tensions are spiraling in war-torn Yemen and between Riyadh and its Gulf rivals.
The clash centers around Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), who refused landing permission on Thursday for a Saudi plane carrying envoys trying to defuse a deepening political crisis. The refusal came amid a halt in flights at Aden International Airport, the main gateway for areas outside Houthi control.
Saudi Ambassador Mohammed Al-Jaber took to social media to blast Zubaidi’s move as stubborn and hostile, saying weeks of outreach had been rebuffed before the denied landing. The delegations were on a mission to find a diplomatic way out of rising tensions — but never even touched down.
In turn, the STC-controlled Transport Ministry angrily accused Riyadh of trying to impose an air blockade, claiming Saudi authorities were forcing all flights between the south and the UAE to reroute for extra inspections.
The incident shines a spotlight on friction between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, long allies but currently backing different sides in Yemen’s long and chaotic conflict. The STC recently seized large parts of southern Yemen from the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government — a development Riyadh sees as a serious threat to stability.
As both sides trade blame, the shutdown at Aden’s airport has left travelers, diplomats, and aid operations in limbo, raising fresh questions about whether this latest standoff could undermine broader peace efforts in the region.
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