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Watch: Over 30 killed, 80 wounded in US strikes on Yemeni fuel port; explosion sparks huge fireball

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The Times Of Indiapublisher-detail-arrow
18th April, 2025 09:00 IST
US airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port killed 30 people and injured 80 others, Houthi rebels said on Friday, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the months-long military campaign under President Donald Trump, Reuters reported.



The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the strikes but did not acknowledge any casualties. “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,” it said in a statement, adding, “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.”





The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite TV channel broadcast graphic footage of the aftermath, showing bodies and debris scattered at the port, which is located in Yemen’s Hodeida governorate on the Red Sea. The attack sparked a massive fireball, with NASA satellite data showing intense heat signatures at the site near Kamaran Island.
According to the rebels, the strikes hit paramedics and civilian workers. “This completely unjustified aggression represents a flagrant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and independence and a direct targeting of the entire Yemeni people,” the Houthis said via their SABA news agency. “It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades.”



The Ras Isa terminal, connected to Marib governorate by pipeline, is currently under Houthi control. While Yemen’s official oil exports have halted due to the prolonged war, the Houthis have continued to use the port to import oil.



The attack comes days after Israeli strikes on Houthi-controlled oil infrastructure and follows a U.S. State Department warning issued on April 9 that said, “The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports.”

This latest strike is part of a wider US operation that began in mid-March. According to an AP review, the Trump administration’s campaign has intensified compared to that under President Joe Biden, expanding targets from launch sites to rebel leaders and urban infrastructure.

The escalation follows Houthi threats to resume attacks on “Israeli” ships amid the Gaza blockade. Since November 2023, the rebels have targeted more than 100 commercial vessels, sinking two and killing four sailors. They have also launched unsuccessful assaults on US naval ships.

Washington has tied the air campaign not only to Houthi maritime threats but also to broader efforts to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

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