Socotra (South24 Center)

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On Monday (March 17), President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, announced his support for efforts taken by the US to protect international navigation in the Red Sea.

During a visit to the strategic Socotra Archipelago, Al-Zubaidi stated: “We affirm that we stand with the United States in protecting international navigation from piracy and terrorism.”

Al-Zubaidi emphasized, “I strongly support the measures taken by our allies, the United States and the United Kingdom, to achieve peace through force in the Red Sea and beyond.”

Al-Zubaidi called for the integration of local, regional, and international efforts to secure international navigation and waterways.

He said: “Addressing the root cause of the Yemeni conflict means reducing and deterring the threat posed by Iran and the Houthis to the region and international trade. Stability at sea ensures stability on land, and this requires strong alliances and collective action.”

Al-Zubaidi’s remarks came in the wake of a 72-hour bombing campaign by US forces against Houthi-linked sites in northern Yemen. The Houthis also announced they had attacked the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier three times.

On March 11, the Iran-backed Houthi militia announced the resumption of its military campaign against Israel-linked ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait after the expiration of a four-day deadline to allow aid deliveries to the Palestinian Gaza Strip.

On March 16, top Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi announced that his group had begun targeting US aircraft carriers and warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and imposing a maritime ban on US navigation.

This came in response to the US strikes on Houthi-controlled areas, which, according to the Houthi-run Health Ministry in Sanaa, resulted in 53 deaths.

On Tuesday, Israel resumed its strikes on Gaza after weeks of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas under international auspices. The Palestinian side announced that the Israeli strikes had killed and injured hundreds of civilians.

The STC comprises of a broad coalition of groups and parties formerly known as the Southern Movement. Established in 2017, the STC controls large swathes of southern Yemen, including the capital, Aden. 

The STC seeks to restore the state of South Yemen, which existed before the 1990 reunification. Its forces are fighting the Houthis and Al-Qaeda on multiple fronts.