Sanaa: US airstrikes have intensified across Yemen, with President Donald Trump's administration claiming to have eliminated key Houthi figures, including their top missile commander.

According to Anadolu Agency, though the Pentagon has yet to confirm specific targets, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz stated on Sunday that American forces have "taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer." The Houthis have not acknowledged the loss, despite their history of downplaying setbacks while exaggerating attacks on US warships.

Waltz further elaborated on the operations during an interview with CBS News program Face the Nation, stating that US forces have targeted the Houthis' headquarters, communications nodes, weapons factories, and some of their drone production facilities over water. One of the recent strikes reportedly targeted a building in a western district of the capital Sanaa, resulting in at least one fatality and injuring 13 others, as reported by the Houthi-run SABA news agency. Footage released by the rebels depicted a collapsed structure with visible bloodstains amidst the debris.

The US bombardment, now in its tenth consecutive day, comes as a response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and threats to resume targeting "Israeli" vessels in the Red Sea. Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 strikes on merchant ships, sinking two and killing four sailors. Although they have fired on US warships, none have been successfully hit.

This latest air campaign is part of a broader context of escalating tensions, as the Iran-backed rebels continue to consolidate their power in northern Yemen while dealing with economic challenges and internal dissent.