August 29, 2025
Israeli airstrike eliminates Houthi government leadership in Sanaa
Israeli strike kills Houthi prime minister in Sanaa
📈Trade🛡️National Security🌍Foreign Policy
Israeli forces killed Ahmed al‑Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-controlled government, in an airstrike on Sanaa on Aug.
28, 2025.
He is also reported under the spelling Ahmed al‑Rawahi.
Israeli military officials confirmed the strike, which hit a routine government workshop evaluating the past year's performance and killed several ministers.
News outlets described the killing as the most senior Houthi official eliminated since Israel began strikes in a campaign with U.S.
support responding to Houthi attacks on Israel and Red Sea shipping.
His death and the airstrike were widely reported on Aug.
30, 2025.
An Israeli airstrike on Aug. 28, 2025, struck a villa in Sanaa and killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al‑Rahawi, the prime minister of Yemen's Houthi-run government. The Houthi movement announced his death and said several ministers were killed or wounded during a routine government meeting. News of the strike and the deaths was reported on Aug. 30, 2025.
Al‑Rahawi, also spelled al‑Rawahi, had served as prime minister since Aug. 10, 2024. He rose to prominence after the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014 and helped run the movement's civilian government structures. He was considered one of the most senior Houthi officials killed since the conflict began.
The Israeli military said it 'precisely struck' a Houthi target and later confirmed al‑Rahawi's elimination. The Houthis and Israeli officials gave different casualty details, and independent verification remained limited. Officials described the strike as part of a campaign responding to Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel and on shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthi leadership named first Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed Ahmed Miftah as acting prime minister after al‑Rahawi's death. The leadership change could harden Houthi responses and complicate efforts toward ceasefire diplomacy. Observers warn the strike may raise the risk of further escalation across the region.
📈Trade🛡️National Security🌍Foreign Policy
People, bills, and sources
Ahmed al‑Rahawi
Prime Minister of the Houthi-run government (killed)
Mahdi al‑Mashat
Chairman, Houthi Supreme Political Council
Mohammed Ahmed Miftah (Miftah)
First Deputy Prime Minister / Acting prime minister
Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
Israel's military
Abdul Malik al‑Houthi
Supreme leader of Ansar Allah (Houthi movement)
What You Can Do
1
understanding
Verify and timestamp official statements.
Check the Houthi media office, any IDF release, and wire-service reports. Record exact release times and note differences between competing claims.
Hello, I'm a reporter with Principle. Did the IDF conduct an airstrike in Sanaa on Aug. 28, 2025, and can you confirm reported deaths of Ahmed al-Rahawi and other ministers? Please provide your official statement and the time of the strike.
2
civic action
Monitor Red Sea shipping and mariner safety.
Track maritime advisories for the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb for signs of Houthi retaliation. Alert editors and shipping contacts if reports show attacks, diversions, or increased escort operations.
Hello, I'm tracking maritime safety after the Sanaa strike on Aug. 28, 2025. Do you have alerts on attacks, vessel diversions, or crew-safety incidents in the Red Sea that we should report?
3
learning more
Prepare reporting on succession and escalation risks.
Update background on Ahmed al-Rahawi and any named successors as officials confirm casualties. Watch for statements from regional governments and the U.N. that could signal wider escalation.
Hi, I'm with Principle. Can you confirm casualty figures and any named successors in the Houthi cabinet after the Aug. 28, 2025 strike? Please share source documents or official confirmations you have.