Israeli Airstrike in Sanaa Kills Houthi Prime Minister and Ministers

Sanaa, Yemen (August 30, 2025) - An Israeli airstrike on Thursday struck a compound in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killing the prime minister of the Iran-aligned Houthi government, Ahmed Ghalib al-Rahwi, along with several other ministers, Houthi-run media announced on Saturday.

The strike, described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as “a complex operation” made possible by precise intelligence and air superiority, targeted a gathering where senior Houthi officials were attending a routine government workshop in Sanaa. The Houthis said the attack also wounded an unspecified number of their members and that their chief of staff and defense minister may have been among the casualties.

Details of the Strike and Casualties The IDF confirmed it had “accurately targeted a military site belonging to the Houthi terrorist regime in the vicinity of Sanaa” in response to recent missile launches by the group toward Israel, including a newly developed cluster munition variant. According to Channel 12 in Israel, initial assessments suggest that the entire Houthi cabinet-comprising the prime minister and 12 other ministers-was likely killed, though Israel has not provided definitive casualty figures.

Houthi Supreme Political Council head Mahdi al-Mashat announced that Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Moftah has been appointed acting prime minister to oversee government functions pending the appointment of a successor. Al-Rahwi, seen largely as a figurehead since his appointment in 2024, had presided over an administration whose real power lay with Houthi military leaders.

Broader Context and Regional Implications Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched dozens of ballistic missiles and unmanned drones at Israel and commercial vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians, prompting periodic retaliatory strikes by a U.S.-led coalition. In May 2025, the United States and the Houthis brokered a temporary ceasefire, but hostilities resumed earlier this month when the group fired a cluster-armed missile at Israeli territory, leading Israel to renew its campaign against Houthi command structures.

The latest strike marks the 16th Israeli operation against Houthi targets in Yemen, reflecting the widening regional conflict centered on Gaza and Iran’s influence in the Red Sea corridor. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned that “there will be no tolerance” for continued Houthi aggression, emphasizing Israel’s readiness to act across the region to neutralize perceived threats.

Humanitarian Concerns Yemen remains mired in a humanitarian crisis, with over 19 million people in need of assistance and frequent disruptions to aid deliveries due to insecurity and maritime attacks. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned that attacks on ports and Red Sea shipping routes hamper the flow of food, fuel, and medical supplies, exacerbating the world’s largest hunger crisis.

As the regional conflict intensifies, Yemen’s fragile ceasefires and truce agreements risk further collapse, raising fears of a deeper military confrontation that could worsen civilian suffering in the country’s prolonged civil war.