A Pentagon assessment reported on Tuesday that U.S. military operations in 2025 resulted in the deaths of 153 civilians and the wounding of 243 others. According to a U.S. official, all recorded civilian casualties for that year occurred during three specific U.S. strikes in Yemen. This figure represents an increase from 2024, when the Pentagon assessed that two civilians were killed and two were injured in military operations.
The findings were detailed in a report submitted to the U.S. Congress. The document stated that the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Middle East, determined it was "more likely than not" that the three April 2025 strikes in Yemen caused civilian harm. The U.S. military stated these operations were intended to degrade the capabilities of Houthi militants in Yemen.
Beyond the confirmed cases, the report noted that as of February 2026, CENTCOM was evaluating 15 additional incidents in Yemen following reports from non-governmental organizations. While the report covered Yemen, it did not include casualties from operations in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. The U.S. Southern Command reported that, as of February 1, 2026, no civilian casualties were "more likely than not" caused by its operations in 2025.
The report also highlights a discrepancy between different military accounting methods. While the official congressional report lists 153 civilian deaths, a separate tally of U.S. strikes against vessels in the Eastern Pacific indicates more than 200 people have been killed since September 2025. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have characterized these maritime strikes as unlawful extrajudicial killings, while the American Civil Liberties Union has described the administration's claims against those targets as "unsubstantiated." These designations by legal and human rights groups suggest ongoing friction between executive military policy and international legal standards regarding the classification of targets.
What happens next depends on the resolution of pending investigations and congressional oversight. As of February 2026, 15 additional reports of civilian harm in Yemen remained under assessment by Central Command. The outcomes of these reviews could further increase the official 2025 casualty count. Additionally, the report’s exclusion of maritime casualties in the Eastern Pacific leaves the official status of those 200 deaths unconfirmed by the Pentagon’s primary civilian harm registry, a matter that may face further scrutiny from lawmakers and non-governmental organizations.