Mohammed Taher An'am, an advisor to Yemen's Supreme Political Council, has characterized the ongoing confrontations in southern Yemen as, at their core, a Saudi-Emirati conflict being waged on Yemeni soil. He stated that the retreat and losses suffered by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces are a consequence of an Emirati decision to withdraw and avoid direct engagement in the fighting.
In statements to the Unews agency, An'am elaborated that the UAE has chosen to recede from a forceful role in the conflict due to its own political calculations, avoiding a direct confrontation with Saudi Arabia within Yemen and opting instead to operate from behind the scenes. He added that "the Emirati approach is based on long-term planning," anticipating further phases of confrontation in the coming period.
The advisor directed a message to the people of the southern provinces, urging them not to accept any foreign presence or become beholden to external forces seeking, in his words, to plunder Yemen's oil wealth and other resources. He emphasized the necessity of resisting foreign agendas and opening channels of communication among various Yemeni factions to manage the country's affairs independently, free from foreign interference.
An'am reiterated Sana'a's firm position rejecting any foreign presence on Yemeni territory, whether Saudi, Emirati, or otherwise. He called for an independent Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue without regional mediation. He noted that Saudi Arabia and the UAE have, in his view, assaulted Yemen over the past decade, concluding that any dialogue hosted by these two countries is not feasible at this stage.
Addressing regional developments, An'am commented on Israeli threats toward Lebanon, describing them as an Israeli attempt to cement its image as the "regional bully," in alignment with American policy. He called on the Lebanese people to confront Israeli arrogance.
Furthermore, he affirmed that Sana'a has repeatedly declared its readiness for any forthcoming confrontation, indicating that work is underway around the clock to prepare on military, popular, and all other fronts.