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At least 38 people have been killed and 102 injured in a series of US airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port, marking one of the deadliest assaults since the escalation of hostilities between Washington and the Houthis.

 

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the strikes early on Friday, stating that the operation was aimed at crippling the Houthis’ access to economic resources. 

 

BREAKING: U.S. airstrikes on the Ras Isa oil port in Yemen, held by Iran-backed Houthis, killed 20 and wounded 50, the group said.

US Central Command: “Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal… pic.twitter.com/AXsE6hufV3

— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) April 18, 2025

 

“The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen,” CENTCOM said in a social media post.

 

While the Pentagon refrained from commenting on the mounting casualties, video footage circulating online shows a massive explosion lighting up the night sky over a body of water, which has been identified as the Ras Isa port.

 

The port is home to a vital oil pipeline and forms part of Yemen’s “critical and irreplaceable infrastructure”, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ras Isa, along with Hodeidah and as-Salif, facilitates the passage of nearly 70 per cent of humanitarian aid into the country.

 

Emergency teams, including members of the civil defence force and the Yemeni Red Crescent, have been deployed to the site to assist in rescue and medical efforts, as reports indicate a significant number of severely wounded victims.

 

Reacting strongly to the bombing, Houthi official Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi said the “American enemy’s crimes” would not dampen the resolve of the Yemeni people. “Rather,” he declared, “it will strengthen their steadfastness and resilience” in support of Gaza.

 

Shortly after the US strikes, the Israeli military reported intercepting a missile launched from Yemen. The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on shipping linked to or heading for Israel since November 2023, in what they claim is a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

 

Washington, meanwhile, has vowed to continue military action against the Houthis unless they halt attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes. However, the Houthi leadership has said they will not stop their operations until Israel ends its military invasion of Gaza.