US President Donald Trump is facing growing scrutiny for withholding information about US military casualties resulting from the ongoing illegal military campaign in Yemen.
According to a report by The Intercept published Saturday, US Central Command (CENTCOM), the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House have refused to disclose how many US service members have been killed or wounded since the launch of Operation Rough Rider in March 2025.
The operation has involved over 1,000 US airstrikes against the Ansarallah-led Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) and killed hundreds of Yemenis, including many civilians.
Representative Ro Khanna of California criticized the White House, calling for full disclosure. "The administration should be transparent about the number of US casualties from the attacks on the Houthis," he said, referring to Ansarallah. His colleague, Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington, echoed the sentiment, warning that US forces should never have been put in harm’s way through unconstitutional military action lacking Congressional approval.
One recent incident underscored the risks: an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet fell off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier earlier this week after the ship reportedly made a sharp turn to avoid a Yemeni missile. One sailor was injured, and the $60 million jet was lost.
When The Intercept asked the Pentagon for casualty figures, officials deflected and directed the inquiry to CENTCOM. After this CENTCOM referred the request to the White House, which has remained silent.
Under the previous administration of Joe Biden, detailed casualty and attack data from across West Asia were regularly released, The Intercept noted.
The contrast has alarmed advocacy groups. Erik Sperling of Just Foreign Policy stated, "Withholding basic information from the public makes it harder for the media to shine light on how these officials are violating one of Trump’s most broadly popular campaign promises."
The Intercept report follows an order issued by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday for the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to remain in West Asia for another week, marking the second time its deployment has been extended amid ongoing military operations against Yemen.
Meanwhile, Trump’s former national security adviser, Michael Waltz, was dismissed this week in part for including a journalist in sensitive discussions about Yemen strikes. Waltz had also pushed for greater military action against Iran and reportedly coordinated closely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — actions that clashed with Trump’s more cautious approach, according to administration sources.
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