US strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians in 2025, says Pentagon review

United States military strikes targeting Yemen’s Houthis killed 153 civilians last year and wounded another 243, according to a Pentagon assessment of the attacks.

The numbers were disclosed by a US official on Tuesday, citing the review, which found that all of the civilian deaths and injuries recorded by the US military in 2025 came from three strikes in Yemen in April.

The unclassified assessment was sent to the US Congress as part of the Pentagon’s annual report on civilian casualties. It was obtained by the Associated Press after NBC News reported it earlier.

A Pentagon official, who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the report publicly, said the department would formally submit it in the coming months.

The numbers mark a sharp increase from 2024, when the Pentagon assessed that US military operations killed two civilians and injured two others.

The three strikes targeted Houthi forces in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, as well as the Ras Isa fuel port.

The attack on Ras Isa was the deadliest, killing 80 people and injuring 171. The strike sent huge fireballs into the sky and left tanker trucks burning at the port. The Houthis later aired footage of the aftermath on their Al-Masirah television channel, showing bodies scattered across the site.

US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East, said at the time that the attack was aimed at cutting off a source of fuel and revenue for the Houthis.