Hundreds of Yemenis gathered under a somber sky in Sanaa on Monday morning, September 1, 2025, to mourn the loss of Ahmed al-Rahawi, the Houthi prime minister, and several other top officials killed just days earlier in a devastating Israeli airstrike. The funeral, held at the Shaab Mosque and broadcast by the Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV, became a focal point for grief and anger, with crowds chanting slogans against Israel and the United States as they paid their respects to the slain leaders, including the ministers of foreign affairs, media and culture, and industry.
The scene inside the mosque was heavy with emotion. Families of the deceased arrived in ambulances, the caskets of their loved ones carried solemnly inside and draped with Yemeni flags. According to The Associated Press, each casket bore a photograph of the official within, a stark reminder of the human cost behind the headlines. Among those attending, Ahmed Khaled and Fathy Mahmoud described a palpable sense of solidarity as mourners gathered to honor those lost. "We’re participating in this funeral because Israel killed those officials and that’s enough reason to attend their funeral," attendee Ahmed Azam told AP reporters.
Al-Rahawi’s death marks the highest-ranking Houthi casualty since the Israeli-U.S. campaign against the Iranian-backed group began earlier this year. The strike, which took place on August 28, came just three days after the Houthis launched a ballistic missile toward Israel, described by the group as their first cluster bomb launch since 2023. While Israel confirmed targeting Houthi senior officials, including the chief of staff and defense minister, by Friday it had not explicitly commented on the deaths of al-Rahawi and the accompanying ministers, as reported by CBC News.
In the aftermath, the Houthis released a statement saying the officials had been targeted during a routine government workshop reviewing the past year’s activities. Acting Houthi Prime Minister Mohamed Muftah, who previously served as al-Rahawi’s deputy, addressed the crowd at the funeral, underscoring the breadth of the ongoing conflict. "We entered a huge and influential war and clashed with the U.S. This war was not only military-focused but also economic as Israel targeted everything," Muftah declared, as quoted by AP. Yet, he sought to reassure the public, affirming that despite the attacks, Yemeni ports under Houthi control remain operational and there is no immediate food or fuel crisis.
The sense of crisis was only heightened later that same day, when Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced in a prerecorded message on Al-Masirah that the group had launched a missile at the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Scarlet Ray off the coast of Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. Saree alleged the vessel had ties to Israel—a claim echoed by the maritime security firm Ambrey, which noted the ship fit the Houthis’ "target profile, as the vessel is publicly Israeli-owned." The ship is controlled by Eastern Pacific, a company ultimately owned by Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer, and has reportedly been targeted in previous suspected Iranian attacks.
Despite the missile launch, Eastern Pacific stated, "the vessel has not sustained any damage and continues to operate under the command of its Master. All crew members onboard the Scarlet Ray are safe and accounted for." The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which monitors shipping in the region, reported that a vessel near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, heard a "splash and a bang" off its side, consistent with the missile incident.
The attack on the Scarlet Ray is the latest in a series of Houthi operations targeting ships in the Red Sea and missile or drone strikes against Israel. The Houthis have repeatedly stated that these actions are carried out in solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Over the past two years, their campaign has upended shipping through the Red Sea, a vital global trade corridor through which about $1 trillion in goods pass annually. According to AP and CBC, from November 2023 to December 2024 alone, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships, sinking four vessels and killing at least eight mariners. Their attacks have not only threatened international commerce but also drawn a forceful response from the U.S. and its allies.
The Houthis briefly paused their attacks during a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, but soon after, they became the focus of an intense weeks-long campaign of airstrikes ordered by then-U.S. President Donald Trump. The air campaign only ceased after a truce was declared, although the cycle of violence has since resumed. In July, the Houthis sank two more vessels, resulting in at least four deaths, with others believed to be held by the rebels.
The latest string of attacks comes at a time when prospects for a broader ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war remain deeply uncertain. The ongoing violence has also cast a shadow over diplomatic efforts, particularly the stalled talks between the U.S. and Iran regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. Tensions escalated further following a 12-day Israeli military campaign against Iran, during which American forces bombed three Iranian atomic sites, leaving the future of negotiations in doubt.
Meanwhile, the Houthis’ actions have not been limited to military targets. On Sunday, the group raided U.N. agency offices in Houthi-controlled areas, detaining at least 11 staff members, including both international and local employees as well as a senior international official. A U.N. official, speaking anonymously to AP, said the world body was unable to contact many of its staff in the region as of Monday morning. The rebels also seized documents and other materials from the U.N. offices, raising fresh concerns about the safety of humanitarian workers and the ability of aid organizations to operate in Yemen’s increasingly volatile environment.
As Yemenis in Sanaa laid their leaders to rest, the sense of uncertainty and defiance was palpable. The deaths of al-Rahawi and his ministers have galvanized supporters, but also underscored the risks facing a region where local conflict, international rivalries, and the interests of global powers collide. With the Red Sea shipping lanes still under threat, diplomatic efforts faltering, and the humanitarian situation growing ever more precarious, Yemen’s crisis continues to ripple far beyond its borders—leaving the world to watch, wait, and wonder what comes next.