U.S. Military Operations Killed 153 Civilians in 2025, Pentagon Says

U.S. military operations killed 153 civilians and wounded another 243 in 2025, according to Pentagon assessments cited by a U.S. official, marking a sharp increase from the civilian casualty figures reported for 2024.

The Pentagon previously assessed that U.S. military operations in 2024 resulted in two civilian deaths and two injuries. According to a report submitted to Congress and published by U.S. media, all civilian casualties officially recorded for 2025 were linked to three U.S. strikes in Yemen.

U.S. Central Command assessed that the three strikes, conducted in April 2025, “more likely than not” caused civilian harm. The operations were part of the U.S. military campaign targeting Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, which Washington says is intended to degrade the group’s military capabilities.

The report indicated that the civilian toll could change. As of February 2026, U.S. Central Command was assessing 15 additional incidents in Yemen following reports submitted through non-governmental organizations.

The Pentagon assessment did not count casualties from U.S. military strikes against vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. As of February 1, 2026, U.S. Southern Command had determined there were no incidents in its area of responsibility during 2025 in which U.S. operations more likely than not caused civilian casualties.

The Trump administration has targeted vessels it alleges were transporting narcotics in the Eastern Pacific, describing those targeted as “narco-terrorists.” More than 200 people have been killed in such strikes since September 2025, based on reported death tolls following individual operations.

Human rights organizations have challenged the legality of the vessel strikes. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have characterized them as unlawful extrajudicial killings, while the American Civil Liberties Union has criticized the Trump administration’s claims about the people targeted as unsubstantiated.

The Pentagon’s findings highlight the significant rise in officially assessed civilian casualties from U.S. military operations in 2025, while assessments of additional incidents remain ongoing.