Pentagon Report Confirms 153 Civilian Deaths in Yemen Strikes

An internal Pentagon assessment sent to Congress on August 11, 2026, reveals that U.S. military strikes in Yemen killed 153 civilians and wounded 243 others. The casualties occurred across three operations in April 2025 during a 53-day bombing campaign targeting Iran-backed Houthi rebels. This report marks the first formal acknowledgment by the administration of the scale of civilian losses during the campaign, which hit over 1,000 targets to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Donald Trump launched the bombing campaign and later declared a ceasefire in May 2025. While the assessment found no civilian casualties during Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, it does not cover other ongoing operations. This includes a separate strike on an elementary school near Minab, Iran, that killed over 100 children.

United States Central Command is currently reviewing 15 additional incidents for potential civilian casualties. Senior Pentagon official Colby Jenkins transmitted the unclassified assessment to congressional defense committees.