Trump has reportedly already given the Pentagon more authority to attack Yemen without his approval


The Pentagon on Thursday conducted 20 to 25 airstrikes in Yemen, part of a ramped-up flurry of military activity against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) since President Trump's inauguration. After approving a Jan. 29 Special Operations ground assault, which resulted in the death of one Navy SEAL and several civilians plus a $75 million Chinook helicopter, Trump is considering giving generals more discretion to launch counterterrorism raids, and that's already true in Yemen, a defense official tells The Washington Post.
Trump has designated Yemen an "area of active hostility," the official said, granting military officials authority to launch strikes without White House approval, similar to former President Barack Obama's anti-Islamic State arrangement with Sirte, Libya, last year. It isn't clear how long the authority will last. There were local media reports that U.S. troops flew in from ships on Thursday for a ground raid, but Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis called those reports inaccurate. "We have U.S. Special Operations forces that go in and out of Yemen to assist our partner forces in fighting al Qaeda," Davis said, but the U.S. forces did not conduct any raids.
U.S. military officials did not estimate how many people were killed in the strikes, but local news reports say that hundreds of militants were killed. The airstrikes were not guided by any intelligence gathered in the Jan. 29 raid, according to senior officials.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US