Is the U.S. Conducting Air Strikes Against Al Qaeda in Yemen?

Future Security Program Deputy Director David Sterman examined reports of U.S. strikes against al-Qaeda in Yemen in Just Security:

Is the United States conducting drone strikes in Yemen against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)? If one relies on official statements by the U.S. government, the answer appears to be no. Indeed, the United States has not confirmed a strike against AQAP since 2020, when President Donald Trump was in the final year of his first term. However, local Yemeni media, Yemeni analysts, and a few non-Yemeni news outlets reported several U.S. airstrikes throughout 2025 and into 2026, suggesting that there may be a covert campaign.

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