By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Recent airstrikes conducted by Saudi Arabia targeted separatist forces in Yemen, specifically in the port city of Mukalla and other areas where the Southern Transitional Council (STC) is stationed. These actions follow the STC’s seizure of an oil-rich region and declaration of a constitution for an independent nation in the south, further escalating tensions. The strikes are the latest intervention by Saudi Arabia, which has also bombed the STC and disrupted weapon shipments, and have resulted in deaths and injuries. Saudi Arabia plans to hold a conference in Riyadh to facilitate dialogue between southern factions, reflecting broader strains within the anti-Houthi coalition and an apparent power struggle with the UAE over regional influence.
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More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and honestly, where do we even begin with this whole situation? It’s a mess, plain and simple. What’s clear is that this conflict in Yemen isn’t a simple good-versus-evil story. It’s a complicated web of different factions, each with its own agenda, and all contributing to a humanitarian crisis.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and you have to remember that we’re talking about a war where everyone involved seems to be terrible. There’s the Saudi-backed government, the UAE-backed separatists, the Iran-backed Shia jihadists, and the Qatari-backed Sunni jihadists. It’s a real pick-your-poison scenario. It’s a bit like a fantasy football league where every team is the villain. And in this case, some of those villains are jihadists. It is truly difficult to know who to root for in all this.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and you also have to realize that the separatists, backed by the UAE, have been the dominant force in the south for a while. They even managed to get rid of the Islamist Islah party from their positions a few years back. Recently, they conducted a mostly bloodless coup against other Saudi-aligned forces. It seemed like the other anti-Houthi factions in Yemen were on board.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and that brings us to the current situation. The Saudis are now pushing the separatists to let the Islah party and other Saudi-aligned forces back into the south. But it seems like a wasted effort unless Saudi Arabia is ready to provide constant military protection. This could backfire and make South Yemen even more anti-Saudi.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and the bigger picture here involves a worrying trend. The world seems to be slipping back into a pre-World War II era of every country for itself, all fueled by the invasion of Ukraine. Countries are increasingly flexing their military might. This is a sign of a multi-polar world where no one is really in charge. It’s a free-for-all of competition and frequent conflicts.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and the situation is grim for the people of Yemen. The Houthis control North Yemen, while South Yemen is a battleground. The separatists want their country back, which they attempted to do in 1994, resulting in a loss and, subsequently, a difficult life, and the people of the south have been the victims of resource extraction at the hands of the northern government and its allies. The US is involved by funding all the sides, and the Saudis are expending billions to ostensibly fight the Houthis, but they keep finding themselves attacking South Yemen instead, especially after the separatists declared their independence. It’s a rock-and-a-hard-place situation. The Saudis don’t want the STC to secede, because that would essentially doom any chance they have of ever removing the Houthis from north Yemen. But they also don’t want to expend the effort to actually defeat the STC, because that would require diverting forces that would otherwise be fighting the Houthis. Basically every option risks giving the Houthis the upper hand.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, which highlights the true tragedy of this war. The Saudis are ostensibly fighting the Houthis, but their actions often seem to undermine any real progress. The Houthis control a large portion of Yemen’s population. They may not be able to easily take the south, as any offensive would be crushed by Saudi airpower.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and it all makes you wonder what the end game is. Some believe the Saudis’ goal to stop the Houthis has turned into an attack on South Yemen instead. The Houthis control the capital and major cities and have a strong defensive position. The Saudis seemingly want to control East Yemen and undo any progress made in combating al-Qaeda. The U.S. seems to be playing a role in all of this.
More Saudi airstrikes hit separatist positions in Yemeni port city, and the overarching theme here is the failure of the world to maintain order. The “rules-based order” has been cast aside. This conflict, like so many others, seems to serve the military-industrial complex. What we are seeing is that there is no easy solution, and it’s a situation where the cycle of violence continues. Resource grabs and power plays are seemingly taking precedence over the well-being of the people of Yemen. It’s almost impressive how efficient we are at setting the entire planet on fire simultaneously.