Monthly Briefing/ May – 2025

Military tensions escalated between the Houthis and Israel, marked by an exchange of strikes. The Houthis targeted Ben Gurion Airport, leading to Israeli retaliatory bombings on Hodeidah Port and Sana’a Airport. These developments underscored Yemen’s role as a battleground for regional and international conflicts. Meanwhile, the United States intensified its air strikes on various Houthi-controlled sites. On the ground, significant military restructuring took place with the creation of the Eighth Military Region. At the same time, the popular resistance in Taiz began mobilizing for a new phase of confrontations aimed at liberating the city.

• May 1: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning to Iran, cautioning of the “deadly price” of its continued support for the Houthis, even as nuclear negotiations resumed. His remarks followed a wave of U.S. air strikes against Houthi targets and the deployment of bombers and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East.
• May 4: The Houthis claimed responsibility for launching a hypersonic ballistic missile at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and targeting a key facility in Ashkelon with a drone. The missile strike injured three people and led to flight cancellations after Israeli authorities confirmed a breach in the airport’s air defenses.
• May 5: Israeli air strikes hit the port of Hodeidah, destroying Pier No. 5 and rendering the port inoperable. The raids also struck container terminals and the Bajil Cement Factory, injuring 21 workers.
• May 6: Israeli warplanes bombed Sana’a Airport, destroying three civilian aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airways that had been seized by the Houthis for two years, resulting in the complete shutdown of the airport.
• May 6: U.S. President Donald Trump announced a suspension of American air strikes in Yemen after receiving a message from the Houthis expressing willingness to halt hostilities and attacks on shipping routes. However, he clarified that no final agreement had been reached.
• May 7: U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman lost a second F/A-18 fighter jet in the Red Sea within one week, following a failed landing that forced the pilot to eject. The incident occurred amid a new Houthi attack, despite the announced ceasefire.
• May 9: The Israeli military reported that its defense system intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Yemen. At the same time, the Houthi group claimed it had targeted Ben Gurion Airport with a hypersonic missile, causing a temporary suspension of air traffic.
• May 10: The Yemeni Armed Forces intercepted a large-scale weapons smuggling operation in the Red Sea, aimed at supplying the Houthis. According to security investigations, the seized ships were carrying 3 million detonators, 3,600 kilometers of wiring, 64 satellite communication devices, and they were en route to Ras Isa Port.
• May 20: Hegseth defended the decision to pause military operations against the Houthis, clarifying that the objective is to ensure the safety of international maritime routes rather than pursue regime change.
• May 22: The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) convened and held a broad consultative meeting in Taiz, with participation from local authorities. During the gathering, Sheikh Hamoud Saeed Al-Mikhlafi, head of the Supreme Council of the Popular Resistance, urged renewed efforts in the battle for liberation and stressed that disarming the Houthis is essential for peace. The committees reaffirmed their readiness to support the National Army and called for unified national efforts.
• May 25: The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, MASAM, continued its efforts to clear landmines and unexploded ordnance in Yemen, removing approximately 1,504 explosive devices to enhance civilian safety in liberated areas.

May 26: The Houthi group accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out a drone strike in Saada, resulting in the death and injury of 10 African migrants, amid ongoing military operations along the Yemen-Saudi border.

This month saw signs of rising security tensions, with increased violations and a resurgence of harsh tactics. The Houthis seized commercial ships in Hodeidah and carried out targeted bombings to homes of opposition figures. In Aden, controlled by the Southern Transitional Council, kidnappings rose amid tighter security measures. The arrest of a Yemeni man in Germany on terrorism charges highlighted how security threats are spreading beyond Yemen’s borders.

1. May 1: The Houthi group forcibly took control of commercial vessels with guns at Ras Isa Port, in Hodeidah, despite holding UN permits. This action heightened British warnings about threats to maritime navigation.
2. May 4: Unknown gunmen kidnapped four individuals, including three civil activists, in Aden’s Mansoura neighborhood amid escalating security concerns.
3. May 7: The U.S. offered a reward of up to $15 million for information disrupting the Houthis’ financing networks, accusing them of attacking ships in the Red Sea. This announcement coincided with a U.S. halt to military strikes.
4. May 13: The United States imposed sanctions on an international network smuggling Iranian oil to China, which is reportedly used to finance missile and drone development and support the Houthis, contributing to regional instability.
5. May 14: Omani Customs seized 24 wireless communication devices suspected to be smuggled for security or military use linked to the Houthis.
6. May 21: The Security Committee in Aden banned demonstrations and protests, citing power outages and deteriorating public services, as part of efforts to reduce unrest and tighten security control.

May 22: German prosecutors arrested a Yemeni citizen in Dachau on charges of belonging to the Houthi group after participating in military training and battles in Ma’rib Governorate in 2023. He was charged with involvement in a “terrorist organization.”

Yemen’s economy faced a deepening crisis, marked by widespread protests in Aden triggered by power outages, the collapse of the national currency and a sharp decline in public services. These unrest issues pressured the Central Bank to publicly deny plans to print new currency, aiming to calm the markets and preserve the fragile financial confidence.

• May 19: The Houthi group upgraded its communications network by importing equipment from China and Russia to lessen its reliance on Iran. This move followed U.S. strikes that had weakened their capabilities and came amid intensified intelligence efforts that uncovered internal security breaches and assassination threats targeting their military and organizational leadership.
• May 21: The Central Bank of Yemen officially denied printing new amounts of local currency to cover the fiscal deficit, reaffirming its commitment to avoid inflationary financing since December 2021.
• May 21: Aden saw widespread popular protests expressing frustration over the worsening economic conditions, deteriorating public services and ongoing collapse of the local economy.

• May 5: The Houthi group released activist Rabab Al-Madwahi, program director at the American Democratic Institute, who had gone missing after being abducted from her Sana’a home in June 2024, during a crackdown on international organization employees.

• May 5: The Court of Appeal in Aden sentenced three men — Helmi Jalal, Samir Naji and Abdullah Hussein — to death (qisas) for the 2016 premeditated murder of Salafi preacher Sheikh Samhan Abdulaziz al-Rawi, after reviewing evidence and witness testimonies.

• May 24: The Yemeni Journalists Syndicate condemned an 18-month prison sentence handed down by a Houthi court in Sana’a to journalist and writer Mohammed Dabwan al-Mayahi, calling it part of ongoing violations against freedom of expression and criticizing the judiciary’s use as a tool for repression.

• May 25: A Houthi court in Sana’a reduced Prodigy Systems’ CEO Adnan al-Harazi’s death sentence to 15 years in prison and ordered the confiscation of his company’s assets. The trial was criticized for interference, family visitation bans and lack of legal fairness, prompting an appeal.

• May 27: The Houthis imposed new restrictions in Sana’a on filming and interviews, requiring content creators to obtain prior permits from their Ministry of Information. This circular, building on earlier directives, also targeted wedding halls and artistic events to enforce strict ideological censorship.

• May 22: A human rights report documented over 2,200 violations by the Houthis in Ibb Governorate, including murders, kidnappings, looting and torturing.

• May 2: A government report revealed that over two million displaced people in Ma’rib suffer from food insecurity due to worsening living conditions and declining aid, raising alarms about a looming humanitarian disaster and prompting calls for a recovery fund and increased financial support.
• May 19: Amnesty International reported that a U.S. air strike on a migrant detention center in Sa’ada killed 68 people and injured 47, calling for an immediate investigation over violations of international humanitarian law. The strike involved GBU-39 bombs, which have caused numerous civilian casualties since March 2025.
• May 20: A coalition of 116 UN, international and national organizations urged the global community to act urgently to prevent Yemen’s crisis from worsening, noting that funding for the humanitarian response plan had covered only 10% of the needs since early 2025, severely limiting aid delivery.
• May 22: The European Commission announced €80 million ($90 million) in humanitarian aid for Yemen in 2025, targeting food security, health, malnutrition, epidemics, water and sanitation, education, protection programs and mine clearance.
• May 25: An explosion at a Houthi weapons depot in Sarf, north of Sana’a, destroyed 15 homes and killed more than 40 people, injuring dozens, including entire families. The Houthis restricted media access and sealed off the area.
• May 26: Shelling in Sa’ada Governorate targeted a gathering of African migrants, resulting in 10 deaths and injuries. Migrants continue to flee conflict and economic hardship in their home countries, seeking safety in Yemen despite the dangers.

The recorded violations include:

• 482 detentions
• 244 assaults
• 223 threats
• 212 website blockings
• 175 trials
• 125 salary suspensions

• 74 cases of torture
• 72 bans on media coverage
• 55 attempted murders
• 46 murders
• 165 suspensions of media outlets

                                  Data accurate as of May 4.