Aden (South24 Center)

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The U.S. Embassy in Yemen issued a controversial statement on Monday (September 29), expressing concern over what it described as a "raid" targeting a women's event organized by a political party in Mukalla, Hadramout governorate.

The statement came a day after the Islah Party (Yemeni Congregation for Reform/the Yemeni branch of Muslim Brotherhood) claimed that a women's event affiliated with the party had been attacked by elements linked to the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The U.S. Embassy's statement asserted that the incident "undermines core values of freedom of expression and assembly" and expressed concern over "ongoing arrests and harassment of journalists”.

Although the statement did not explicitly name the party involved, its timing and content strongly suggests that it referred to the women's event organized by Islah in Mukalla commemorating the September 26 Revolution – the 1962 uprising in northern Yemen.

However, field investigations revealed a different picture from that of the Islah Party's narrative and the U.S. Embassy's statement.

Circulated videos and testimonies from local sources documented no raids by STC elements or security forces, nor were any arrests recorded.

What actually transpired was that South Yemeni women had organized a counter-protest across the street, raising the flag of the former South Yemen, leading to direct confrontation between the two groups.

One video clip showed a woman affiliated with Islah assaulting a South Yemeni woman and forcibly snatching the Southern flag from her hands.

ولو كن النساء كمثل هذه
لفضلت النساء على الرجال
فما التأنيث لاسم الشمس عيب
ولا التذكير فخر للهلال pic.twitter.com/UipXmuy8bW

— صلاح باتيس (@SalahBatis) September 28, 2025

Salah Batis, an Islah Party leader and member of the Yemeni Shura Council, praised this behavior in a post on platform X. Former Yemeni Minister Khaled Al-Rowaishan, based in Houthi-controlled Sana'a, also endorsed the action.

The Islah Party, the largest Islamic party in Yemen since its establishment in 1990, has historically been associated with tribal and religious alliances in northern Yemen. However, it faces widespread rejection in South Yemen due to its image as an extension of the Brotherhood movement.

This is compounded by connections between some of its founders, such as the late Sheikh Abdul Majeed Al-Zindani, and the Al-Qaeda.

The current U.S. Embassy statement comes amid the second Trump administration hardening its stance against the Muslim Brotherhood globally.

Last month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted that designating the group as a terrorist organization is "in process”, explaining that its complex structure necessitates dealing with its branches separately.

In a White House press briefing, spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated that such a decision "appears to be something this administration would support”.

Meanwhile, two parallel bills have been introduced in Congress: one in the Senate titled the "Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025," and another in the House of Representatives with the same name.

Both bills urge the State Department to proceed with designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.