An Israeli airstrike on Thursday killed Ahmed al-Rahawi, the prime minister of the Houthi-controlled government in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, according to a statement from the Iranian-backed Houthis reported by The Hindu on August 30, 2025. The attack, which also claimed the lives of several ministers and wounded others, targeted a government workshop evaluating the group’s annual performance, the rebels said. The Israeli military described the strike as a precise hit on a “Houthi terrorist regime military target” in Sanaa, offering no further comment on the deaths.
The Houthis, who have been launching missiles and drones at Israel and targeting Red Sea shipping in solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza, have faced intensified retaliation. Earlier that week, Israeli strikes across Sanaa killed at least 10 people and injured 102, according to Houthi-run health ministry officials. Despite most Houthi missiles being intercepted or failing mid-air, the group’s attacks persist, disrupting roughly $1 trillion in annual Red Sea trade.
In May, the Trump administration brokered a deal to halt airstrikes if the Houthis ceased attacks on shipping, but the rebels clarified the agreement did not cover targets they believed were linked to Israel. The Houthis’ actions, including a ballistic missile launch on August 24 described by Israel as the first cluster bomb since 2023, have prompted ongoing U.S. and Israeli strikes on rebel-held areas like Sanaa and Hodeida. A U.S. strike in April on a Sadaa prison holding African migrants killed 68 and wounded 47, per Houthi reports.
Al-Rahawi, a native of Abyan and an ally of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, joined the Houthis during their 2014 takeover of Sanaa, sparking Yemen’s civil war. Appointed prime minister in August 2024, he managed civilian affairs, not military operations, which are controlled by Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s inner circle. Ahmed Nagi of Crisis Group International called his death a “serious setback” for the rebels.
Israeli Airstrike Claims Houthi Prime Minister in Sanaa
