Whalley's latest contributions

The December incursion of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) into eastern Yemen appeared at first to be a resounding success for the UAE-backed secessionist movement. It was accompanied by triumphal pronouncements in southern media about the imminent resurrection of a southern state. But the rapid advance into the oil-rich hinterland, … Read more

Following a rapid military advance into eastern Yemen, forces affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) were pushed out of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra in early January by Saudi airstrikes, Saudi-backed troops, and local tribal forces. STC leader and Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member Aiderous al-Zubaidi reportedly … Read more

On February 28, the US and Israel began a massive air offensive against Iran, targeting its leadership, command and control, and intelligence sites across the country. On March 1, Iranian media confirmed that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been killed, by which point airstrikes had expanded to military targets and nuclear facilities, … Read more

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s lightning push into Hadramawt and Al-Mahra in early December marked one of the most abrupt and consequential shifts in Yemen’s security landscape in recent decades. Within weeks, STC-affiliated forces surged into the eastern governorates, were rapidly pushed back, and were ultimately forced to … Read more

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) December takeover of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra precipitated a massive shift in Yemen’s political and security landscape. After nearly a month of failed negotiations, Saudi-backed forces counterattacked and, aided by local tribesmen and air support, found quick success. STC-affiliated forces were … Read more