An unclassified Pentagon assessment provided to Congress concluded that three U.S. airstrikes in April 2025 connected to operations against Houthi targets in Yemen likely produced substantial civilian casualties, killing 153 people and wounding 243, according to reporting based on the document.
Scope and findings of the review
The review examined strikes in and around Yemen’s Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and at the Ras Isa port. The assessment used a combination of U.S. intelligence, imagery and open-source reporting to reach its conclusions and found the attacks were more likely than not to have caused civilian harm.
The most lethal single incident identified in the report occurred at the Ras Isa port, which the assessment says killed 80 civilians and injured 171. Video broadcast by the Houthi-run al-Masirah channel showed extensive destruction at the port, including burning tanker trucks and corpses amid towering fireballs.
"The strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen," U.S. Central Command said after the attack, emphasizing the operation sought to deny fuel supplies and revenue to the Iran-backed Houthis.
Context and Pentagon response
The strikes were launched as part of a broader U.S. campaign to disrupt Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea — a vital artery for global trade leading to the Suez Canal and Mediterranean Sea — and in the context of Houthi actions tied to the conflict in Israel.
U.S. Central Command framed the strikes as efforts to eliminate fuel sources and revenue streams that allegedly financed Houthi operations over the past decade. Still, the department's own assessment concluded the three strikes under review likely caused civilian harm. The report was obtained by The Associated Press and earlier reported by NBC News; a Pentagon official confirmed the document will be submitted to Congress, but provided no additional public comment.
Political and humanitarian consequences
The findings arrive amid heightened scrutiny of civilian casualties from U.S. operations overseas. Lawmakers have raised concerns after separate incidents this year, including a U.S. missile strike on an Iranian primary school that reportedly killed as many as 168 people, prompting questions about how the Defense Department tracks and mitigates harm to noncombatants.
The report also intersects with internal Pentagon changes: reporting indicates Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reduced the size of an office whose mission included reducing civilian harm, a move that has fueled additional congressional and public scrutiny.
- 153 civilians killed across three strikes
- 243 civilians injured
- 80 killed and 171 injured in the Ras Isa port strike
| Location | Civilians Killed | Civilians Injured |
|---|---|---|
| Ras Isa port | 80 | 171 |
| Other strikes (total) | 73 | 72 |
| Total | 153 | 243 |
The assessment’s reliance on multiple intelligence streams and open reporting underscores how civilian harm determinations increasingly combine classified data with imagery and public-source material. U.S. Central Command previously argued the strikes aimed to deprive the Houthis of illicit revenue that supports operations in the region, asserting the intent was not to target civilians.
Oversight and next steps
The unclassified document was prepared for congressional review as part of the Defense Department's annual reporting on civilian casualties. Members of Congress have pressed the Pentagon for greater transparency and more robust mechanisms to prevent and investigate civilian deaths resulting from U.S. operations.
The assessment’s release is likely to intensify calls for investigations into specific strikes and for renewed attention to how U.S. forces assess and mitigate risks to civilians during kinetic operations. The Pentagon has not provided further public comment beyond acknowledging the forthcoming submission to Congress.
As the broader campaign against Houthi forces continues to intersect with regional tensions, the report highlights the persistent challenge for U.S. policymakers: balancing military objectives with the imperative to minimize harm to noncombatants in complex operational environments.
