EXCLUSIVE: The Southern Transitional Council (STC) of Yemen has announced its dominance over all eight southern regions, positioning itself as a strategic ally for the United States in countering Iran-backed Houthis, al Qaeda elements, and factions aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood.

In an exclusive conversation with Fox News Digital, Ahmed Atef, who represents the STC at both the United Nations and in the United States, expressed the council’s eagerness to enhance ties with Washington across military, diplomatic, and economic fronts. “We welcome all forms of support,” Atef stated, acknowledging former President Trump’s strength and expressing anticipation for his backing.

Emerging as the leading force in southern Yemen, the STC is reportedly buoyed by substantial support from the United Arab Emirates, both financially and militarily. Established in April 2017, the council aims to restore the independence of South Yemen, reminiscent of the state that existed from 1967 until its merger with North Yemen in 1990. Recently, Yemen’s internationally recognized government called for the STC to relinquish control of territories they have seized in the southeast, as per reports by The Associated Press.

Demonstrators in southern Yemen advocating for independence, December 2025. (AIC Aden)

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned on Wednesday about the perilous escalation in Yemen, following the STC’s recent territorial gains in the eastern provinces of Hadramawt and al-Mahra. He warned that these unilateral moves could exacerbate divisions, entrench opposition, and hasten fragmentation, potentially destabilizing the wider region, including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Horn of Africa.

Bridget Toomey, a researcher with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), explained to Fox News Digital that U.S. support for southern secession could conflict with its official stance, which backs the unity of Yemen under its recognized government. However, she noted that collaborating with the STC in counterterrorism efforts and against the Houthis might align with broader goals, given that the STC plays a role within the current governing framework.

Country split in two

Yemen’s war has long divided the nation. In the north, the Houthis rule Sanaa and much of western Yemen with support from Iran and ties to Hezbollah. In the south, STC-aligned forces dominate Aden, the temporary capital, and a belt of inland and coastal regions that include Lahj, Abyan, Shabwa, Hadramout and al-Mahra.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, which the United States continues to support, is formally based in Aden but remains fragmented. The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council serves as the recognized authority and has relied heavily on a coalition of competing factions, including the STC, to govern and confront the Houthis and to maintain control on the ground.

Toomey said, “The government has faced serious economic, oversight and capacity challenges and has struggled to deliver basic services, a situation compounded by the ongoing fight against the Houthis and Yemen’s broader humanitarian crisis.”

In this Jan. 3, 2017 file photo, tribesmen loyal to Houthi rebels chant slogans during a gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters into battlefronts to fight pro-government forces. (AP)

That reliance has drawn criticism. Yemen’s internationally recognized government has accused STC-affiliated forces of carrying out deadly attacks in Hadramout and warned that the group’s recent expansion risks sparking conflict between rival factions within the anti-Houthi camp. The Associated Press reported that Yemeni officials urged the STC to withdraw from areas seized in the east, cautioning that unilateral moves could undermine the political process and destabilize a fragile balance in the south.

Atef rejected that characterization, describing the Hadramout operation as a major success that demonstrated the STC’s ability to fight what he called hostile forces operating in coordination with the Houthis. He accused those forces of collaborating with “Houthi terrorists” and said the STC’s actions strengthened security rather than undermined it.

Yemenis who live along the strip between the south and north of the country and support the Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold an image of STC leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi during a rally in Khormaksar Square, in Aden, the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen, on Dec. 14, 2025. (Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)

Warning: the Houthis are a ‘regional and global’ threat

Atef described the Houthis as a destabilizing force well beyond Yemen’s borders.

“They have this slogan of ‘death to America, death to Israel,’ which is really very unacceptable,” he said. As long as the Houthis maintain control of Sanaa, he warned, they will “continue threatening maritime traffic in the Red Sea, continue threatening us in the South and Saudi Arabia, and continue threatening the UAE and the Gulf region.”

He also accused Houthi factions of cooperation with outside extremist groups, including Somalia’s al-Shabab, and of receiving training and support from Iran and Hezbollah.

STC President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi has pledged assistance to northern Yemeni forces seeking to “re-liberate Sanaa,” Atef said, dismissing prospects for a negotiated political settlement. “It is impossible,” he said. “We will talk the language that the Houthis understand.”

Houthi terrorists walk over British and U.S. flags at a rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Feb. 4, 2024, on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

Separatists seek deeper partnership with Washington

Atef repeatedly framed the STC as a natural U.S. partner on counterterrorism and regional stability. He praised President Donald Trump for designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and for efforts targeting branches of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“In Yemen, we have Muslim Brotherhood. We believe that they are terrorists. We believe that they sponsor terrorism,” Atef said, adding that he supported a recent bill to classify certain Muslim Brotherhood chapters abroad as terrorist entities, but he argued the organization is “extremist everywhere, even in the United States. Not only in these chapters.”

Houthi terrorists march in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and against the U.S. strikes on Yemen outside Sanaa on Jan. 22, 2024. (AP Photo)

Atef also said the STC intends to open southern Yemen’s oil, agriculture, fisheries and tourism industries to American companies as a path toward long-term self-sufficiency. “We invite U.S. companies to come and explore the oil fields and help us in getting revenues to develop our people,” he said.

Yemenis rally in support of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which wants to revive an independent South Yemen, in Aden, the temporary capital of the Republic of Yemen on Dec. 14, 2025. (Saleh Al-Obeidi/AFP via Getty Images)

A new front in the region’s power balance

The STC’s ultimate objective, Atef emphasized, is an independent, pro-Western South Yemen that can secure its territory while helping counter Iran’s regional influence.

“Once we have got this front against the Houthis strengthened and emboldened with the support of the international community and the United States,” he said, “that is going to help us very much on the ground to continue our fight and bring stability and peace to the region.”