UANI Statement on Targeted Strike Killing Houthi “Prime Minister” Al-Rahawi

(New York, N.Y.) - On August 28, 2025, an Israeli precision airstrike—codenamed Operation Lucky Drop—targeted and killed Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al‑Rahawi, prime minister of the Houthi‑led regime based in Sanaa, along with several ministers. Al‑Rahawi was appointed in August 2024 by the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council to lead the so-called “Government of Change and Construction.” He previously joined the Houthi administration following the U.S.-designated terrorist group’s 2014 seizure of Sanaa. UANI CEO Ambassador Mark D. Wallace noted:

“This was not an attack on the Republic of Yemen nor on its internationally recognized institutions. It was a strike on the Houthis, who de facto control parts of Yemen but are a terrorist organization, as recognized by multiple governments around the world.

“The Houthis have long received military, financial, and logistical support from the Iranian regime—including access to advanced missiles, drones, training, and intelligence—that enables their sustained campaigns. Iran also recognizes the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council as the legitimate governing entity in Houthi-held areas.  As Houthi ‘prime minister,’ al‑Rahawi in fact led an illegitimate regime.

“Just this weekend, a Liberia-flagged Israeli-owned tanker reported an explosion southwest of Saudi Arabia’s port city of Yanbu. The Iran-backed Houthis cannot be allowed to continue operating with impunity and hold the Red Sea hostage. The United States and its allies should support further strikes to target Houthi leadership as well as a ground operation by Yemeni forces against the Houthis.”

To read UANI’s comprehensive resources about the Houthis’ ties to Iran, click here.