IDF Kills Yemen Prime Minister and Others (Houthis)
Kanako Mita, Sawako Utsumi, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a targeted airstrike that killed Yemen’s self-proclaimed (Houthi) Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi.
Other senior Houthi figures were also “erased” by the IDF. The operation aligns with the IDF’s broader strategy of targeting senior leaders within Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, as well as military and influential supporters of terrorism in Iran.
Notably, during a recent Israeli air campaign against Iran, the United States reportedly exercised behind-the-scenes influence to restrain Israel’s actions, following a ceasefire appeal by former President Donald Trump after a brief bombing by America against Iran. Accordingly, despite America’s support of Israel against Iran, the administration of Trump sought to contain the crisis.
The BBC reports, “The Houthis have controlled much of north-western Yemen since 2014, after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa and triggering a devastating civil war.”
According to Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath, the IDF strike also killed several senior Houthi officials, including the group’s foreign minister, as well as the ministers of justice, youth and sports, and social affairs and labour. The targeted airstrike, which struck a gathering in the Sanaa area, reflects Israel’s ongoing campaign to dismantle the leadership of Iran-aligned militant groups across the region.
Since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza—triggered by a barbaric pogrom against Israeli civilians by Hamas and allied Palestinian factions—the Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles toward Israel and targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Iran-backed group claims these actions are carried out in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
The IDF acted swiftly upon learning that senior Houthi ministers were convening to review their operations over the past year. Crucially, the gathering went ahead without sufficient security or intelligence precautions—mirroring lapses often attributed to Iranian-aligned networks—which allowed the IDF to strike decisively and eliminate several high-ranking Houthi officials.
Israel Katz (Israel’s Defense Minister) said, “The Houthi Prime Minister, most of his ministers, and other senior officials were eliminated and injured.”
Katz continued. “I warned that after the ‘plague of darkness’ would come the ‘plague of the firstborn’ — and now we have carried out that warning.”
CNN reports, “Last year, Israel assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital of Tehran. Two months later, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike in Beirut.”
Israel anticipates a response from the Houthis, along with the usual rhetoric from Iran. However, Israeli officials have made it clear that such reactions will not deter ongoing operations. The IDF is expected to continue its campaign of targeting and eliminating figures linked to terrorist activities and anti-Israel agendas, regardless of threats or retaliation from regional actors.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times