US airstrikes eliminate key Houthi figures, including top missile commander

U.S. airstrikes in Yemen have intensified under the Trump administration, with National Security Adviser Mike Waltz claiming that American forces have eliminated key Houthi leadership, including their top missile commander.

Although the Pentagon has not confirmed the specific targets, Waltz stated on CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday that U.S. forces have successfully struck the Houthis' headquarters, as well as their communications nodes, weapons factories, and drone production facilities.

The Houthis have not acknowledged the loss of their leadership but are known for downplaying setbacks and exaggerating their attacks on U.S. warships. One of the latest strikes reportedly hit a building in the western district of Sanaa, resulting in at least one death and 13 injuries, according to the Houthi-run SABA news agency. Rebel footage showed a collapsed structure with bloodstains among the rubble.

This U.S. air campaign, now in its tenth consecutive day, is a response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and threats to target "Israeli" vessels in the Red Sea. Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on merchant ships, sinking two and killing four sailors. While they have fired on U.S. warships, none have successfully been hit.

The airstrikes come amid years of escalating tensions between the Iran-backed Houthis and U.S. forces, as the group continues to solidify its control over northern Yemen while contending with internal dissent and ongoing economic challenges.

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