News of Charlie Kirk’s killing has dominated front pages and cable news, with politicians lining up to condemn the attack. At the same time, Israeli forces quietly assassinated Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser al-Rahawi. That killing of a foreign head of state barely registered in the Western press, treated almost as a footnote.

To understand why Yemen finds itself in Israel’s crosshairs, MintPress spoke with Abdellatif Al Washali, an independent journalist in Sanaa. He described a nation stunned by the loss of its leader but determined to press on, and said Yemenis see their struggle as bound up with the fight of Palestinians.

Coverage of Kirk’s death eclipsed al-Rahawi’s by orders of magnitude. This is no accident. For years, outlets like MSNBC went entire years without mentioning Yemen, even as the United Nations called it the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. When Yemen does appear in corporate media, it is usually framed through a sectarian lens, as “Iran-backed Houthis.” The effect is to delegitimize the movement and erase Yemeni agency.

Since November 2023, Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement has enforced a humanitarian blockade of the Red Sea, stopping Israeli and allied ships until Israel halts its war on Gaza. The campaign has been devastatingly effective. Eilat Port revenues have collapsed by more than 80%, with shipping giants rerouting around Africa.

One of the first ships seized was the Galaxy Leader, owned by Israeli billionaire Abraham Ungar, a Likud ally. By striking at Israel’s financial elite, Yemen has done what no Arab government has dared. It has forced Tel Aviv to pay an economic price for its actions in Gaza.

Israel has responded with wave after wave of bombings. Dozens of civilians have been killed in recent days, including at least 20 journalists. The assassination of al-Rahawi was the clearest sign that Israel seeks to decapitate Yemen’s leadership.

Al Washali told MintPress that the killing “shocked Yemenis deeply,” but far from weakening the movement, it “has strengthened unity.” Even factions once aligned with the Saudi coalition are now backing Ansar Allah, driven by outrage over Gaza.

Unlike Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or the UAE, all of whom help Israel bypass the blockade, Yemen has refused to normalize relations. Millions regularly march in solidarity with Palestine, with one demonstration in Sanaa drawing more than a million people.

The near-total blackout on Yemen’s story underscores why independent media is essential. For 14 years, MintPress News has challenged empire and exposed war crimes. But today, we face an existential crisis. We have been banned from PayPal, censored across Big Tech, and cut off from funding.

If you value fearless reporting that tells the stories corporate media bury, please support our Indiegogo campaign: MintPress News Faces Shutdown Amid Unprecedented Attacks on Truth

Feature photo | Honor guards carry the coffin of Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, left, and the coffins of other politicians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, during a funeral ceremony at the Shaab Mosque in Sanaa, Yemen, Sept. 1, 2025. Osamah Abdulrahmam | AP

Mnar Adley is an award-winning journalist and editor and is the founder and director of MintPress News. She is also president and director of the non-profit media organization Behind the Headlines. Adley also co-hosts the MintCast podcast and is a producer and host of the video series Behind The Headlines. Contact Mnar at mnar@mintpressnews.com or follow her on Twitter at @mnarmuh.

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