Pentagon report confirms 153 civilian deaths in Yemen strikes during 2025
Unclassified review finds three April attacks, including one at Ras Isa fuel port, resulted in significant harm to non-combatants, though the Department of Defence concluded condolence payments were not appropriate.
A Pentagon assessment submitted to the US Congress has confirmed that American military strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians and wounded 243 in 2025. The unclassified report, which details the highest civilian casualty figures recorded during the campaign to date, attributes all 2025 deaths and injuries to three specific attacks carried out in April.
The review indicates a substantial escalation in civilian harm compared to 2024, when the Pentagon assessed that US operations killed two civilians and injured two others. The 2025 casualties stemmed from strikes targeting Houthi forces in and around the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and the Ras Isa fuel port. The attack on the Ras Isa facility proved the deadliest single incident, killing 80 people and injuring 171.
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, stated at the time that the April strikes were designed to cut off Houthi fuel sources and revenue. A CENTCOM spokesperson asserted that the attack was not intended to harm Yemeni civilians, describing the target as a source of illegal revenue funding Houthi efforts to destabilise the region.
However, the Pentagon’s final determination concluded that the three strikes “more likely than not” resulted in civilian harm, based on US intelligence, imagery, and open-source reporting. Despite acknowledging the civilian toll, the report found that condolence payments to victims or their families were not appropriate, though it did not provide an explanation for this conclusion.
The findings emerge as civilian casualties from US military operations face increased scrutiny under the Trump administration. The campaign, which intensified in 2025 following Donald Trump’s return to the presidency, aims to degrade Houthi capabilities and protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Pentagon’s assessment excludes casualties from separate strikes on boats accused of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, which have killed more than 200 people since September 2025.
CENTCOM is currently reviewing an additional 15 incidents following reports of civilian casualties submitted by non-governmental organisations, suggesting the final toll from the Yemen campaign may increase. The unclassified report was obtained by the Associated Press after initial reporting by NBC News, with a Pentagon official confirming the department intends to formally submit it to Congress in the coming months.
