Photo by Cristian Benavides
US airstrikes targeting a fuel port in Yemen resulted in the deaths of at least 74 individuals, according to Houthi rebel reports on Friday. This incident marks the deadliest event in the ongoing 15-month campaign by Washington against the group.
The strikes on Ras Issa were intended to disrupt the supply lines and financial resources of the Houthis, who govern significant portions of the Arabian Peninsula’s most impoverished nation, as stated by the United States military.
Footage aired by a Houthi-operated television network depicted large flames illuminating the night sky, following a recent surge in attacks under the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Anees Alasbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi health ministry, indicated that rescue teams were still searching for victims at the Red Sea fuel terminal, implying that the death toll may increase.
“The number of fatalities has reached 74 martyrs, with 171 others injured, according to preliminary reports,” he noted.
AFP was unable to independently verify these figures. Subsequently, the Houthis declared missile strikes against Israel and two US aircraft carriers.
Earlier on Friday, Israel’s military reported intercepting a missile fired from Yemen.Protesters chanting “Death to America! Death to Israel!” gathered in various cities across the nation, including a significant demonstration in the capital, Sanaa.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree addressed the crowd in Sanaa, stating, “The American military buildup and ongoing aggression against our nation will inevitably lead to increased counterattacks, operations, clashes, and confrontations.”
‘Signal to Tehran’
The airstrikes on Thursday occurred just prior to the resumption of US negotiations with Iran regarding its nuclear program in Rome on Saturday, amid concerns that Tehran is nearing the capability to develop an atomic weapon.
“The military actions in Yemen are clearly intended to convey a message to Tehran,” remarked Mohammed Albasha, a consultant based in the US, in an interview with AFP.
For the past month, the US military has conducted near-daily airstrikes against the Houthis in an effort to eliminate their assaults on maritime activities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause, the rebels initiated assaults on crucial maritime routes and Israeli territory following the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023. They temporarily halted their operations during a recent two-month ceasefire.
In a statement, the United States Central Command (Centcom) remarked, “US forces acted to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists, thereby depriving them of illicit revenue that has supported Houthi efforts to instill terror across the region for over a decade.”
The US military operations commenced in January 2024 but have escalated and intensified under the Trump administration, beginning with an offensive that resulted in the deaths of 53 individuals on March 15.
Footage aired early Friday by Al-Masirah depicted a fireball erupting off the coast, accompanied by thick plumes of smoke rising from what seemed to be an ongoing fire.
The Houthi television station subsequently broadcast interviews with survivors on stretchers, including one man with burns on his arms.
“We fled as the strikes came one after another, and then everything was engulfed in flames,” recounted a man who identified himself as a port worker to Al-Masirah.
Regarding shipping attacks, Israel conducted airstrikes on Ras Issa and other locations in Yemen in January, labeling the targets as military infrastructure. Similar Israeli operations, which also targeted Ras Issa, occurred in September.
Iran condemned the recent US strikes as “barbaric,” while Hamas characterized them as “blatant aggression.” The US bombing campaign intensified last month in response to Houthi threats to renew attacks on international shipping, protesting Israel’s obstruction of aid to the Gaza Strip.
“The message today is clear: the US is targeting not only Houthi military assets and personnel but also their economic infrastructure,” stated Albasha.
Houthi assaults on the Red Sea shipping route, which typically handles approximately 12 percent of global trade, have compelled numerous companies to undertake expensive detours around the southern tip of Africa.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce has separately alleged that the Chinese satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company is “directly supporting” Houthi assaults on “US interests.”
Although Bruce did not provide specifics at first, she later mentioned “a Chinese company supplying satellite imagery to the Houthis.”
