Hundreds of Yemenis gathered in Sanaa’s Shaab Mosque to mourn the loss of Houthi Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and several cabinet ministers, killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 28, 2025. The funeral, broadcast by Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV, saw emotional crowds chanting anti-Israel and anti-U.S. slogans, condemning the attack that targeted senior officials, including the foreign affairs, media and culture, and industrial ministers. Attendees like Ahmed Azam expressed solidarity, stating to the Associated Press, “Israel killed those officials, and that’s enough reason to attend their funeral.” Families arrived in ambulances, with caskets placed inside the mosque for prayers.

The Israeli strike, described as a “complex operation” by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), targeted a Houthi government workshop in a villa in Beit Baws, southern Sanaa, aimed at evaluating the group’s performance. Acting Houthi Prime Minister Mohamed Muftah, addressing the funeral, declared, “We entered a huge war, clashing with the U.S. economically and militarily,” while assuring that Yemen’s ports remain operational with no food or fuel crisis. The attack, which killed al-Rahawi—the most senior Houthi official targeted in the U.S.-Israel campaign—was a response to a Houthi ballistic missile launch on August 21, described by Israel as the first cluster bomb attack since 2023.

In a related escalation, the Houthis launched a missile on September 1 at the Liberian-flagged Scarlet Ray oil tanker off Saudi Arabia’s coast in the Red Sea, claiming it had ties to Israel due to its ownership by Eastern Pacific, controlled by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer. The maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed the vessel fit the Houthis’ target profile, though Eastern Pacific reported no damage and all crew safe. The attack, reported by the UK Maritime Trade Operations center as a “splash and bang” near Yanbu, marks a renewed Houthi offensive on Red Sea shipping, disrupting a $1 trillion trade route.

Also Read: Houthis Storm UN Offices in Yemen Detain Staff Amid Aid Crisis

The Houthis’ actions, including the detention of 11 UN staffers during raids on UN offices in Sanaa on August 31, are seen as retaliation for the Israeli strikes. The UN reported losing contact with many staff in Houthi-held areas, with seized documents adding to concerns about humanitarian operations. Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted over 100 ships, sinking four and killing eight mariners, in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war. A brief ceasefire in January 2025 halted attacks, but renewed Israeli operations and a U.S. campaign under President Trump, including a May deal to stop shipping attacks, failed to curb Houthi missile launches against Israel.

The killings, confirmed by both the Houthis and the IDF, mark an Israeli shift from targeting infrastructure to Houthi leadership, a “serious setback” for the group, per analyst Ahmed Nagi. With tensions escalating and a potential Israel-Hamas ceasefire uncertain, Yemen faces heightened instability as the Houthis vow revenge, further complicating the region’s fragile dynamics.

Also Read: Israeli Airstrike Kills Houthi PM in Yemen