Ali Abdullah Saleh, the ousted strongman who once governed Yemen and then conspired with Iranian-backed rebels to claw his way back to power, was killed on Monday after a bomb blew up his family’s compound in the capital, Sana, according to reports from rival factions clashing there.
If confirmed, the death of Mr. Saleh, 75, is likely to add to the escalating tension across the region between two heavyweights, Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have clashed indirectly through the fighting in Yemen.
The apparent removal of one of the most wily and well-connected players in Yemeni politics would further diminish any hopes of an imminent resolution to the catastrophic civil war that has gripped Yemen for more than two years.
It could also set the stage for new violence between his supporters and the Iran-allied Houthi rebels, until recently Mr. Saleh’s allies.
