DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A U.S. airstrike on an vital oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed greater than 70 folks and wounded many others, marking a significant escalation within the navy marketing campaign President Donald Trump launched final month in opposition to the Iranian-backed group.
The in a single day strike on the Ras Isa port despatched huge fireballs billowing skyward and turned tanker vans into burning wrecks. It was the primary American assault on a Houthi-controlled oil facility for the reason that U.S. started its new bombing marketing campaign. It additionally got here simply earlier than the resumption of negotiations in Rome between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s quickly advancing nuclear program, which Washington has linked to its Yemen marketing campaign.
The U.S. is concentrating on the Houthis due to the group’s assaults on delivery within the Pink Sea, a vital international commerce route, and on Israel. The Houthis are the final militant group in Iran’s self-described “Axis of Resistance” that’s able to recurrently attacking Israel.
The port serves as a significant hub for incoming gas shipments that energy areas of Yemen held by the Houthis, and analysts say the airstrike might significantly have an effect on day by day life there.
The Houthis, who stated the assault killed no less than 74 folks and wounded 171 others, aired graphic footage of the aftermath on their al-Masirah satellite tv for pc information channel, exhibiting corpses strewn concerning the port and smashed tanker vans. They denounced the strike as a “utterly unjustified aggression.”
“It targets an important civilian facility that has served the Yemeni folks for many years,” the group stated in an announcement.
U.S. Central Command declined to reply any questions on doable civilian casualties however referred to an announcement through which it stated “this strike was not meant to hurt the folks of Yemen.”
“U.S. forces took motion to eradicate this supply of gas for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of unlawful income that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorize your entire area for over 10 years,” it stated in its assertion.
A U.S. official stated the assault despatched a message to these supplying gas to the Houthis regardless of sanctions. The official spoke to The Related Press on the situation of anonymity to supply particulars not but made public.
Hours after the U.S. strike, the Houthis launched a missile towards Israel that was intercepted, the Israeli navy stated. Sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. In the meantime, the Houthis stated they shot down one other American MQ-9 Predator drone, which the U.S. official acknowledged.
On this photograph taken from video launched by Al Masirah TV channel reveals a burning oil tanker after U.S. airstrikes focused the Ras Isa oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in Hodeida, Yemen, Friday, April 18, 2025.( Al Masirah TV by way of AP)
The port’s strategic significance
The Ras Isa port is a set of oil tanks and gear that sits in Yemen’s Hodeida governorate alongside the Pink Sea. It’s simply off Kamaran Island, which has been focused by intense U.S. airstrikes in latest days.
Earlier than the Houthis took management of Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and despatched the federal government into exile, oil from the nation’s energy-rich Marib governorate moved by means of Ras Isa for export. However for the reason that Houthis don’t management that area, the port now serves as an import hub for gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gasoline that assist energy these components of Yemen the Houthis management.
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This photograph taken from video launched by Al Masirah TV channel reveals medics carrying a useless particular person after U.S. airstrikes focused the Ras Isa oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in Hodeida, Yemen, Friday, April 18, 2025.( Al Masirah TV by way of AP)
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A lethal escalation of Trump’s Yemen marketing campaign
The brand new U.S. operation in opposition to the Houthis underneath Trump seems extra in depth than assaults on the group had been underneath President Joe Biden, an AP overview discovered. The brand new marketing campaign began after the rebels threatened to start concentrating on “Israeli” ships once more over Israel blocking assist from getting into the Gaza Strip.
From November 2023 till this January, the Houthis focused greater than 100 service provider vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two of them and killing 4 sailors. That has significantly lowered the circulation of commerce by means of the Pink Sea hall, which usually sees $1 trillion of products transfer by means of it. The Houthis additionally launched assaults concentrating on American warships with out success.
