Pentagon Faces Scrutiny Over Civilian Deaths in Yemen Airstrikes

U.S. airstrikes in Yemen last year that killed or wounded hundreds of civilians are now being acknowledged as likely civilian casualties, contradicting earlier Pentagon statements.

In April of last year, three U.S. airstrikes in Yemen, launched under Operation Rough Rider and directed by Secretary Pete Hegseth, resulted in extensive civilian harm, with early estimates of about 150 deaths and 200 injuries for the first two attacks. The Defense Department had long maintained that no noncombatant casualties occurred, a claim at odds with reports from human-rights organizations describing large-scale civilian losses.

Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have pressed the Pentagon for answers, prompting U.S. Central Command to review the strikes and conclude that civilian casualties were more likely than not. Amnesty International has sharply criticized both the White House and the Pentagon for failing to provide clear accounting of the incidents. The organization also highlighted the Pentagon’s silence on a separate strike on a school in Minab, Iran, which reportedly killed 156 people, most of them children.

An official indicated that a formal casualty report for 2025 will be issued in the coming months. The revelations raise questions about the transparency of U.S. military operations and the effectiveness of safeguards intended to protect civilians.