Houthis shoot down 3rd US reaper drone as Trump administration continues daily airstrikes

Houthis successful Yemen person changeable down different U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, sources told Fox News. 

This is the 3rd specified drone the rebels person changeable down since March 3 and the 2nd changeable down since the U.S. began conducting regular strikes.

While the U.S. has been carrying retired airstrikes regular for 20 days straight, determination person been fewer updates from the Trump medication connected the presumption of the operation. The Pentagon has not held a property briefing successful weeks, and the Defense Department has been quiescent astir the ongoing strikes.

AFTER DEBILITATING STRIKES, TRUMP TELLS HOUTHIS: STOP SHOOTING AT US AND 'WE WILL STOP SHOOTING AT YOU'

President Donald Trump is taking enactment against the Houthis to support U.S. shipping assets and deter violent threats, the White House posted connected X connected March 15, 2025. (The White House)

On Tuesday, the State Department announced sanctions connected "financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating arsenic portion of a planetary illicit concern web supporting the Houthis." 

The State Department enactment guardant sanctions aft the Houthis changeable down the archetypal Reaper successful aboriginal March, citing weapons smuggling arsenic the reason.

The U.S. has been carrying retired airstrikes against the Houthis successful Yemen for 20 days straight. (AP Images/Getty Images)

TRUMP'S SIGHTS SET ON IRAN AFTER US AIRSTRIKES DECIMATE MORE THAN 30 HOUTHI TARGETS

Late past month, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke astir the airstrikes successful an interrogation with CBS' "Face the Nation."

"These guys are similar al Qaeda oregon ISIS with precocious cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and immoderate of the astir blase aerial defenses, each provided by Iran," Waltz said. "Keeping the oversea lanes open, keeping commercialized and commerce open, is simply a cardinal facet of our nationalist security," helium added.

An MQ-9 Reaper drone with Customs and Border Protection awaits the adjacent ngo implicit the U.S.-Mexico borderline successful November 2022 astatine Fort Huachuca, Arizona. (John Moore/Getty Images)

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MQ-9 Reaper drones outgo astir $30 cardinal each, according to the Congressional Research Service. Houthis person changeable down 13 U.S. drones since October 2023, erstwhile the Israel-Hamas warfare started, however, a root told Fox News that it could beryllium arsenic galore arsenic 17 Reapers. 

The U.S. had 230 MQ-9 Reaper drones successful its arsenal arsenic of December 2024, a U.S. defence authoritative told Fox News. These drones are chiefly utilized to cod quality but tin beryllium equipped with up to 8 laser-guided Hellfire missiles, according to the U.S. Air Force.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.