Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a 53-day campaign of airstrikes in Yemen that the Defense Department initially claimed had no civilian casualties.
The Defense Department has acknowledged that its airstrikes during Operation Rough Rider likely resulted in civilian casualties, despite previous claims that no noncombatant deaths occurred. Secretary Pete Hegseth led the 53-day campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which included three specific attacks in April of last year. While the Pentagon initially insisted there were no civilian casualties, human rights groups and Democratic lawmakers demanded accountability for the hundreds of people killed or wounded. Recent documents show that U.S. Central Command has reviewed the strikes and concluded they more likely than not resulted in civilian casualties. Amnesty International criticized the administration for its lack of transparency, noting that the administration has gutted programs designed to prevent civilian harm. The Defense Department plans to submit an annual report regarding casualties for 2025 in the coming months to address these discrepancies.