ALBAWABA- At least 38 people were killed and more than 100 others wounded in US airstrikes on the Ras Isa oil port in Yemen, according to a statement by the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group.
The port, which provides fuel for millions of Yemenis, was targeted in what is now among the deadliest US strikes since the air campaign began on March 15.
The victims, mostly laborers and contract workers at the port, were caught in the bombardment that triggered massive explosions and fires.
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV broadcast graphic footage showing charred bodies and devastation across the site, reporting that both paramedics and civilians were among those killed.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the airstrikes via a post on X, stating the attack aimed to cripple Houthi economic resources used to finance military operations.
Destruction of Houthi Controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 17, 2025
The Houthis have continued to benefit economically and militarily from countries and companies that provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The Iran-backed Houthis use fuel to sustain their… pic.twitter.com/SRiELV4juk
However, the high civilian toll, which has surpassed 500 deaths and more wounded since March 15, as reported by the Houthi Ministry of Health, has fueled outrage, as Yemen endures one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, compounded by a decade-long war that has displaced millions.
The recent US strikes, part of President Donald Trump's escalation strategy against the Houthis for their operations against Israel and in the Red Sea, have added to the toll of the earlier Saudi-UAE-led military intervention launched in 2015.
That campaign failed to defeat the Houthis and instead left behind shattered infrastructure, deepened famine, and widespread suffering.
