Houthis report at least 38 killed in US airstrikes on Yemen oil port
US military says aim of strikes, some of the deadliest since start of bombing campaign, was ‘to eliminate this source of fuel… and deprive illegal revenue’ to Iran-backed rebels
US strikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in western Yemen killed at least 38 people on Thursday, Houthi-run media said, one of the deadliest days since the United States began its attacks on the Iran-backed militants.
Al Masirah TV said the strikes, which the US military said aimed to cut off a source of fuel for the Houthi rebel group, also wounded 102 people.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the death toll given by the Houthis.
In a statement, US Central Command said that “US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize the entire region for over 10 years.”
“This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully,” it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties and declined to comment when asked by The Associated Press regarding civilians reportedly being killed.
The Ras Isa port, consisting of three oil tanks and refining equipment, sits in Yemen’s Hodeida governorate along the Red Sea. NASA satellites that track forest fires showed an intense blaze early Friday morning at the site just off Kamaran Island, targeted by intense US airstrikes over the last few days.
Major fires burning at the Ras Isa port on Yemen’s western coast following U.S. airstrikes aimed at destroying the facility pic.twitter.com/GYIPtnc9fK
— ELINT News (@ELINTNews) April 17, 2025
The United States began large-scale strikes last month against the Houthis, saying it would not stop unless they ceased their attacks on Red Sea shipping.
The Houthis began their attacks in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the war sparked by its ally Hamas’s October 7, 2023, terror onslaught in southern Israel.
Thursday’s strikes were some of the deadliest since the United States began bombing the Houthis in its biggest military operation in the Middle East since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
In March, two days of US attacks killed more than 50 people, Houthi officials said.
An AP review has found the new US operation against the Houthis under Trump appears more extensive than that under former president Joe Biden, as Washington moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel and dropping bombs on cities.
The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again, over Israel blocking aid from entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have loosely defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning many vessels could be targeted. They have also launched numerous missiles and drones at Israel.
The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing four sailors from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships without success.
The US campaign shows no signs of stopping, as the Trump administration has also linked its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program.
The Times of Israel Community.