Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the prime minister of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, announced his resignation on Saturday, citing “many difficulties,” including his inability to implement a government reshuffle.
Mubarak’s resignation comes after a power struggle with Rashad Al-Alimi, the head of Yemen’s presidential council. Al-Alimi reportedly rejected Mubarak’s request to remove 12 ministers from the government, leading to tensions between the two. According to six government sources, Finance Minister Salem Saleh Bin Braik is expected to replace Mubarak as prime minister.
Mubarak, who was appointed prime minister in February 2024 after serving as Yemen’s foreign minister, had previously gained international attention in 2015 when he was kidnapped by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia during their conflict with then-President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
His resignation coincides with an escalation in U.S. military operations in Yemen. Since March, the U.S. has intensified airstrikes targeting Houthi military assets and attempting to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. These operations represent the largest U.S. military actions in the Middle East under President Donald Trump.
Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war for over a decade. The Houthi militia seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, overthrowing the internationally recognized government and forcing its relocation to the southern port city of Aden. The Houthis now control most of the country, including key population centers in the north and west.