U.s. Strikes Targeting Houthis Killed 153 Civilians In Yemen Last Year, Pentagon Review Says

Washington — U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels successful Yemen past twelvemonth killed much than 150 civilians, according to a Pentagon reappraisal of nan attacks, which comes arsenic concerns emergence complete civilian casualties during subject campaigns nether nan Trump administration.

The unclassified assessment, obtained by nan Associated Press, was sent to Congress arsenic portion of an yearly study connected civilian casualties and reported earlier by NBC News. A Pentagon official, who was not authorized to talk nan matter publically and said connected information of anonymity, said nan section will taxable nan study successful nan coming months but had thing much to announce.

The Pentagon reappraisal focused connected 3 airstrikes successful April 2025 that were launched during nan U.S. run against nan Houthis. The militants were attacking commercialized ships successful nan Red Sea, a important world waste and acquisition way that leads to nan Suez Canal and into nan Mediterranean, arsenic good arsenic Israel.

Those strikes targeted dispute forces successful aliases adjacent Yemen’s rebel-held superior metropolis of Sanaa arsenic good arsenic nan Ras Isa port, nan study said. A full of 153 civilians were killed and 243 were injured.

The onslaught connected nan larboard was nan astir deadly, sidesplitting 80 group and injuring 171 others. It sent monolithic fireballs billowing skyward and turned tanker trucks into burning wrecks. The Houthis aired schematic footage of nan aftermath connected their al-Masirah outer news channel, showing corpses strewn astir nan port.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees subject operations successful nan Middle East, said astatine nan clip that nan “strike was not intended to harm nan group of Yemen.”

“U.S. forces took action to destruct this root of substance for nan Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of forbidden gross that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize nan full region for complete 10 years,” said U.S. Central Command successful its connection successful April 2025.

The bid wished that nan 3 strikes “more apt than not” resulted successful civilian harm, nan reappraisal said. The accusation was based connected U.S. intelligence sources, imagery and open-source reporting.

Civilian casualties from U.S. subject operations person drawn concerns, including from lawmakers successful Congress, aft a U.S. rocket struck an Iranian superior schoolhouse successful nan opening days of this year’s war, sidesplitting up to 168 people. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is said to person slashed nan size of an agency focused connected reducing civilian harm, nan AP has reported.

The Pentagon appraisal comes arsenic nan Houthis are carrying retired a increasing number of strikes against authorities forces successful Yemen and lipid accommodation successful neighboring Saudi Arabia, which supports nan Yemeni government, and nan kingdom’s shipping successful nan Red Sea.

Fears are increasing that nan renewed unit could reignite Yemen’s civilian warfare pursuing a 2022 truce and unfastened a caller beforehand successful nan Middle East war.

Finley writes for nan Associated Press.