The United States (U.S.) military strikes caused a sharp rise in civilian casualties in 2025, leaving 153 dead and 243 injured, according to an internal Pentagon assessment submitted to Congress and cited by a U.S. official on Tuesday.
The dramatic increase, up from just two deaths and two injuries recorded in 2024, stems entirely from three strikes conducted in Yemen in April 2025, a Reuters report revealed on Wednesday.
U.S. Central Command concluded that these operations were “more likely than not” responsible for the harm caused during its campaign targeting Iran-backed Houthi militants. Central Command is also reviewing an additional 15 reported incidents in Yemen following submissions from non-governmental organisations.
However, the Pentagon’s official casualty count excludes separate counter-narcotics operations carried out by the Trump administration against vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. While U.S. Southern Command reported no verified civilian casualties in its area of responsibility, a Reuters tally indicates that strikes against suspected “narco-terrorist” vessels have killed over 200 people since September 2025.
The maritime strikes have drawn severe condemnation from advocacy groups. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the maritime operations as unlawful extrajudicial killings, whilst the American Civil Liberties Union dismissed the administration’s rationale as “unsubstantiated, fear-mongering claims.”