Yemen’s Political Turmoil Intensifies as Houthis React to Prime Minister’s Death

SANAA, Yemen (August 31, 2025) - Yemen’s Houthi-controlled administration was rattled today by a series of dramatic developments following the killing of its prime minister in an Israeli airstrike. Key events on August 31 include a vow of retaliation from Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the appointment of an acting prime minister, and an unprecedented storming of a UN building in the capital.

Houthi Leader Pledges Escalation

In a televised address, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi condemned the Israeli strike that killed Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi on August 28, branding it a “horrific crime” and vowing sustained missile and drone attacks against Israel. He underscored the Houthis’ resolve to defend what he called the “rights of the Islamic Ummah” and pledged that “the coming days will see additional successes in thwarting the Israeli enemy’s crimes”.

Acting Prime Minister Named

Amid the crisis, Houthi authorities have named First Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed Muftah as acting head of government. State TV announced Muftah’s appointment today, tasking him with steering the rebel administration through its “gravest crisis yet” and ensuring continuity of civilian governance in Sanaa.

UN Premises Stormed in Sanaa

Separately, Iran-aligned Houthi militants forcefully entered the offices of a United Nations agency in Sanaa early this morning. A World Food Programme spokesperson confirmed that one local employee was detained and that additional detentions were reported at a UNICEF facility. The incursion marks a significant escalation in Houthi actions against international organizations following the airstrike.

Background: Prime Minister’s Death

Ahmed al-Rahawi, appointed in August 2024, was killed alongside several senior ministers during what Houthi officials described as a routine government workshop in Beit Baws, south of Sanaa. The strike, confirmed by both the Houthis and Israel’s military, represents the first successful targeting of Houthi leadership by Israel and is widely viewed as a shift toward decapitating rebel command structures.

Key Figures

• Ahmed al-Rahawi: Houthi prime minister (August 2024 - August 2025); killed in Israeli airstrike.
• Abdul-Malik al-Houthi: Supreme leader of the Houthi movement; delivered speech promising retaliation.
• Mohammed Ahmed Ahmed Muftah: First Deputy Prime Minister; appointed acting prime minister on August 31, 2025.

Implications Today’s events underscore the rapid militarization of Yemen’s civil war into a broader regional conflict. The Houthis’ vow to intensify attacks against Israel and the storming of UN facilities signal a dangerous expansion of hostilities that could further destabilize humanitarian operations and international engagement in Yemen.