The U.S. military on Sunday defended its growing campaign of airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, refusing to release specifics about its operations even as evidence of civilian casualties mounts and political pressure in Washington intensifies.
In a carefully worded statement, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it would not reveal details “to preserve operational security” but insisted that its campaign has had “lethal effects” on Houthi militants. The statement comes amid reports that dozens of civilians have been killed, including 74 people at an oil terminal earlier this month — the deadliest single U.S. strike in Yemen since President Donald Trump escalated military operations there in late March.
Trump’s decision to intensify strikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels is part of a broader push to secure Red Sea shipping lanes, which have come under increasing attack since late 2023. But human rights advocates and a growing number of lawmakers warn that the administration’s approach risks dragging the U.S. deeper into a murky conflict with little accountability or transparency.
Since mid-March, U.S. forces have struck more than 800 targets across Yemen, according to CENTCOM. Officials claim that the strikes have killed “hundreds” of Houthi fighters, taken out key commanders, and destroyed critical infrastructure used by the militants.
“We are very deliberate in our operational approach, but will not reveal specifics about what we’ve done or what we will do,” the military said, emphasizing its intent to cripple the Houthis’ military and economic capabilities.
Despite the Pentagon’s assurances, critics argue that the lack of transparency and the rising civilian death toll suggest that the U.S. may not be doing enough to distinguish between combatants and noncombatants.
The Houthi-run health ministry reported that a mid-April strike on an oil terminal killed 74 people, mostly workers and nearby residents. Other reports from aid organizations suggest that civilian casualties are likely undercounted due to restricted access and the chaotic nature of post-strike environments.
“We are seeing repeated patterns of strikes in civilian areas with devastating consequences,” said Lina Khatib, a Yemen analyst at the Arab Reform Initiative. “The U.S. is claiming precision, but the on-the-ground reality tells a different story.”
Concern over civilian harm has spilled into U.S. politics. Last Thursday, Democratic Senators Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley, and Bernie Sanders sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding a full accounting of civilian casualties linked to the U.S. campaign.
“The American people deserve to know the human cost of our military actions abroad,” the senators wrote, warning that continued secrecy could erode public trust and inflame anti-American sentiment in the region.
Hegseth, already under fire for reportedly using the unclassified messaging app Signal to discuss military operations, has so far resisted calls for greater disclosure. Critics argue that this method of communication undermines institutional safeguards meant to ensure oversight and transparency.
The Houthis have seized significant swathes of Yemen since the country’s civil war erupted a decade ago. In recent months, they have stepped up attacks on Red Sea shipping, claiming they are targeting vessels linked to Israel in retaliation for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Since November 2023, Houthi attacks have endangered one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. The Houthis argue that their actions are an act of solidarity with Palestinians, pointing to the devastating toll of Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed over 51,000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel says its campaign is a response to Hamas’s brutal October 2023 attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and about 250 taken hostage.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has thus spilled into regional waterways, heightening the risk of a broader confrontation involving multiple states and non-state actors.
Beyond humanitarian concerns, legal scholars are questioning the U.S. administration’s authority to conduct ongoing operations in Yemen without congressional approval.
“Under the War Powers Resolution, the President must seek congressional authorization for hostilities that exceed 60 days,” said Oona Hathaway, a professor at Yale Law School. “There is a real argument that Trump’s Yemen campaign violates this requirement.”
So far, the Trump administration has framed the strikes as defensive, aimed at protecting international shipping and U.S. interests. Critics counter that the scale and persistence of the strikes suggest an undeclared war — one being waged largely out of public view.
The fog of war is thickening. After a deadly explosion near a UNESCO World Heritage site in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on April 20, the Houthis accused the U.S. of killing a dozen civilians.
The Pentagon quickly denied responsibility, saying a malfunctioning Houthi missile caused the blast. Independent verification has proven difficult, but the incident illustrates the broader problem: in a conflict with limited transparency, each side’s claims are hard to verify and easy to weaponize.
CENTCOM insists that operational secrecy is vital to safeguarding U.S. personnel and ensuring mission success. But withholding basic information — such as strike locations, targets, and assessments of civilian harm — also prevents public scrutiny.
“Operational security is important, but it should not be a shield against accountability,” said Brian Finucane, a former State Department legal adviser. “We’ve been down this road before in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the result was erosion of trust, both at home and abroad.”
Analysts warn that the U.S. escalation in Yemen risks igniting a larger regional conflict, especially given Iran’s backing of the Houthis.
“Striking hundreds of targets in Yemen while tensions are high across the Middle East is like lighting matches near a powder keg,” said Aaron David Miller, a former U.S. Middle East negotiator. “You can easily see how this spirals beyond Red Sea shipping lanes into a broader war.”
Iran has publicly condemned the U.S. strikes but has so far refrained from direct retaliation. However, regional militias aligned with Tehran have stepped up attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, raising fears of a coordinated response.
Some U.S. lawmakers and former officials are urging a recalibration of strategy, arguing that military force alone will not solve the underlying political and humanitarian crises fueling the Houthi insurgency.
“We are trying to bomb a political problem into submission,” said retired General Joseph Votel, who once commanded CENTCOM. “It won’t work without a diplomatic track.”
Meanwhile, aid groups warn that Yemen, already suffering one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, cannot withstand another escalation. Over 21 million Yemenis — roughly two-thirds of the population — are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
The Biden administration, which campaigned on ending “forever wars,” now faces an uncomfortable reality: U.S. military entanglement in Yemen is deepening with no clear end in sight.
Republicans have largely rallied behind Trump’s approach, framing it as necessary to protect American interests and deter Iranian aggression. But Democratic skepticism is growing, setting the stage for a possible showdown in Congress over war powers and military accountability.
As operations continue, the administration will have to decide whether it can maintain its current course without losing public and political support — or whether a strategic shift is needed before the U.S. finds itself trapped in yet another open-ended Middle Eastern conflict.
