August 31, 2025 | By Mohammed Ghobari, Enas Alashray, and Ahmed Tolba
Sanaa, Yemen – In a major escalation in the Yemen conflict, Israeli airstrikes on Thursday killed Ahmad Ghaleb al-Rahawi, the Prime Minister of Yemen’s Houthi-run government, along with multiple ministers and senior officials in the capital Sanaa. The attack marks the first time Israel has assassinated top-ranking Houthi officials since tensions between the two sides intensified.
Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, confirmed the deaths in a statement on Saturday, adding that several others were wounded in the targeted strike. While Israel claims the operation also aimed to eliminate the Houthi defense minister and other senior leaders, the full extent of casualties remains unconfirmed.
Leadership Shift After Strike
Following Rahawi’s death, Mohammed Miftah, his deputy and the de facto head of government, was appointed acting Prime Minister. Analysts note that Rahawi was largely seen as a symbolic leader rather than part of the Houthis’ core leadership circle. Once an ally of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Rahawi joined the Houthis after their takeover of Sanaa in 2014, which ignited a decade-long civil war.
Since then, Yemen has been divided between the Iran-backed Houthi administration in Sanaa and the Saudi-supported government in Aden.
Growing Hostilities Between Israel and Houthis
The Houthis, aligned with Iran, have carried out numerous Red Sea attacks targeting shipping vessels and launched missiles toward Israel since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Israel has responded with repeated strikes on Houthi-controlled regions, including strategic hubs like Hodeidah port.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hailed the latest strike as “a crushing blow” to the Houthis, warning that “this is only the beginning.” The Houthis, however, vowed retaliation.
“The aggression will not deter us,” Mashat declared in a televised speech. “We will take revenge, no matter how great the challenges.”
Senior Officials Among the Dead
Sources confirmed to Reuters that Yemen’s energy, foreign affairs, and information ministers were also killed in the strikes. Israeli intelligence sources revealed that Houthi leaders had been gathered at multiple sites to watch a pre-recorded speech by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the group’s top leader.
The Houthi defense chief, Mohamed al-Atifi, widely regarded as the group’s leading missile strategist, later issued a statement pledging to confront Israel, though it remains unclear if the statement was made before or after the deadly strike.
A New Phase in the Conflict
The assassination underscores Israel’s shift toward high-profile targeted killings in the region. Over the past year, Israel has eliminated senior leaders of both Hamas and Hezbollah, aiming to weaken Iran’s regional alliances.
With this strike, tensions in the Middle East are expected to rise further, adding new volatility to a war that has already spilled beyond Gaza.
