Yemen's Hadramawt province has launched an operation to "peacefully" take back military sites after a sweeping advance by UAE-backed separatists, its governor said on Friday.

"This operation is not a declaration of war, nor an attempt to escalate tensions," Salem Al-Khanbashi said in a statement reported by the official Saba Net news agency, shortly after he was also appointed to lead the Saudi-backed National Shield forces in Hadramawt.

Separatists from Yemen's Southern Transitional Council said on Thursday that Saudi-aligned government forces would enter territories seized by the UAE-backed group, in a step that appeared unlikely to satisfy Riyadh after it repeatedly demanded their full withdrawal.

The United Arab Emirates announced on Tuesday the withdrawal of its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia earlier set a 24-hour deadline for their departure.

"The Ministry of Defense announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen," a statement from the ministry said, adding that Abu Dhabi made the move "of its own volition, ensuring the safety of its personnel, and in coordination with relevant partners."

The UAE denied shipping weapons to Yemeni separatists on Tuesday after Saudi-led forces said they had bombed arms sent by Abu Dhabi.

"The shipment in question did not contain any weapons, and the vehicles unloaded were not intended for any Yemeni party," government spokesperson Afra Al Hameli wrote on X, adding the arrival of the shipment had been coordinated with Riyadh.

Syrian authorities imposed an overnight curfew in the coastal city of Latakia on Tuesday after attacks in predominantly Alawite neighborhoods a day prior.

Authorities announced a "curfew in Latakia city, effective from 5:00pm (1400 GMT) on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, until 6:00am (0300 GMT) on Wednesday, December 31, 2025".

Jailed Turkish Kurd leader Abdullah Ocalan said in a message published Tuesday that it was "crucial" for the Turkish government to broker a peace deal between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Damascus government.

"It is essential for Turkey to play a role of facilitator, constructively and aimed at dialogue... This is crucial for both regional peace and to strengthen its own internal peace," Ocalan, founder of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group, said in a message relayed by Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party.

Hamas on Monday confirmed that its longtime spokesman was killed following an Israeli strike in August in war-torn Gaza, the first time the Palestinian militant group publicly acknowledged the death of one of its more prominent figures.

The confirmation comes months after Israel said on Aug. 31 that its forces had killed the militant group's spokesman Hudhayfa al‑Kahlout, nicknamed "Abu Obeida," in an airstrike on Gaza. Hamas didn't say how he was killed or when.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have "hell to pay" if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.

Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu in Florida, Trump threatened to "eradicate" any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear program or ballistic missile arsenal following U.S. and Israeli strikes earlier this year.

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen's port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. The kingdom later directly linked the UAE to the separatists' recent advances in Yemen and warned Abu Dhabi its actions were "extremely dangerous."

The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program Monday as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his home in Florida for wide-ranging talks.