Official Announcement of Heavy U.S. Losses in Confrontation with Yemeni Armed Forces
The Watson Institute, a respected academic center in the United States specializing in public affairs, government management, and international relations, has revealed details of U.S. military losses in recent clashes with Yemen’s armed forces in a report titled “The Costs of War.”
According to the report, U.S. military spending on Yemen-related operations between October 2024 and September 2025 exceeded $4.9 billion, raising the total cost over recent years to approximately $10 billion.
The expenses include extensive use of advanced weapons and equipment such as 2,000-pound bombs, precision missiles, Patriot air defense systems, along with the deployment of two U.S. aircraft carriers, fighter jets, bombers, and drones.
Material and personnel losses for the U.S. military include the destruction of three F/A-18 fighter jets (estimated cost: ~$210 million), 22 MQ-9 drones (estimated cost: ~$800 million), and the use of dozens of high-cost missiles and bombs, including 75 Tomahawk missiles and 20 AGM-150 bombs.
The American institute noted that despite these massive expenditures, the field results have not been decisive. Yemeni attacks resumed after a temporary ceasefire, leading to maritime operations that resulted in the sinking of ships and direct threats to oil tankers linked to Israeli interests. Airstrikes have also continued against airports and strategic targets deep within occupied Palestinian territories.
The publication of this report is seen as further confirmation of the failure of U.S. naval and aerial operations in Yemen, which ultimately led to their withdrawal from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and acceptance of a ceasefire brokered by Oman. Although the Watson Institute did not detail human casualties in this report, it is reported that at least two American soldiers were killed and several others wounded in Yemeni attacks.
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