Israeli Airstrike Kills Houthi Prime Minister in Yemen, Raising Regional Tensions
- ATN
- Aug 30
- 2 min read
By: ATN News
SANAA, Yemen: — Yemen’s Houthi rebel movement confirmed Saturday that its self-proclaimed Prime Minister, Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the capital, Sanaa, earlier this week. Several other senior officials died in the same attack, marking the highest-level loss for the Iran-backed group since the conflict intensified.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike was part of a broader campaign to disrupt Iranian influence in the region. The operation mirrors Israel’s long-standing strategy in Lebanon, where it targeted Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and successive commanders, aiming to weaken Tehran’s network of regional allies.
“The Houthis won’t likely sit quietly in the shadows,” a regional diplomat told ATN News. “Retaliation—whether through drone strikes, missile fire, or maritime disruption in the Red Sea—is almost certain.”
The strike underscores Israel’s willingness to escalate beyond its northern and Gaza fronts, cutting into what officials describe as Iran’s “tentacles” across the Middle East. Analysts warn the campaign could extend further, with some not ruling out the possibility of Israeli strikes inside Iran itself.
The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have carried out repeated missile and drone attacks against Israel and international shipping lanes since the Gaza war erupted. Their leadership has vowed revenge for al-Rahawi’s death, heightening fears of renewed instability across the Red Sea corridor, one of the world’s busiest maritime routes.
The region is on edge, bracing for a cycle of strikes and counterstrikes. And this three-way showdown between Israel, Iran, and the Houthis has already moved beyond Yemen—it’s a fight with the potential to spill far wider. It’s a fuse that could ignite a much wider regional conflict.