On January 2 local time, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Yemen, Jaber, delivered a statement on the situation in Yemen, saying that Zubaydi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council, had taken a series of unilateral decisions on relevant issues without adhering to existing political consensus. He noted that the operations led by Zubaydi in Hadramaut and Mahra provinces were considered “among the most dangerous decisions,” exacerbating local tensions. He also stated that Saudi efforts to de-escalate the situation had consistently been met with refusal and intransigence from Zubaydi’s side. Jaber revealed that Zubaydi had refused to grant flight clearance to the Saudi official delegation’s flight to Aden and had directly ordered the suspension of flight operations at Aden International Airport. (CCTV News)