Yemen’s Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Salem bin Braik, bringing his tenure to an end at a time of continued political instability and security challenges in the war-torn country. The resignation was formally submitted and approved on Thursday, according to Yemen’s state news agency Saba.
Following bin Braik’s departure, the PLC appointed Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen Zindani as Yemen’s new Prime Minister and tasked him with forming the next government. No immediate details were provided regarding the composition of the new cabinet or the timeline for its formation.
The leadership change comes alongside a broader political reshuffle. Earlier in the day, the PLC appointed former Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi and Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi, replacing two council members who were dismissed over their links to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC).
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year. The prolonged war has plunged the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and heavily dependent on international aid.
The transition also comes amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over Yemen. In late December 2025, UAE-backed STC forces seized key areas in southern Yemen, triggering a sharp response from Riyadh and exposing deep divisions within the anti-Houthi alliance. The renewed political uncertainty adds to concerns over Yemen’s stability as regional rivalries continue to play out on its soil.
