Yemen in Flames: US Airstrike on Yemen’s Oil Port Sparks Outrage as Death Toll Rises.
A devastating U.S. airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port has left at least 74 people dead and 171 injured, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Washington’s ongoing offensive against Houthi rebels. The strike, which triggered massive explosions and sent fireballs into the night sky, targeted the key oil facility for the first time in the prolonged military campaign, significantly escalating tensions in the region.
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The Houthi rebel group, which controls much of northern Yemen, condemned the attack as a “completely unjustified aggression,” claiming it struck a vital civilian facility that had served Yemenis for decades. Graphic footage aired by Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV showed charred bodies and burning tanker trucks at the port, while satellite images analyzed by Planet Labs PBC and the Associated Press confirmed destroyed fuel tanks and oil leaking into the Red Sea.
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The U.S. Central Command defended the strike, stating it aimed to cut off a major revenue source for the Iran-backed Houthis.
“U.S. 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,” the military said in a statement. “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.”
Hours after the airstrike, the Houthis launched a missile toward Israel, which the Israeli military said was intercepted. Sirens blared across Tel Aviv and surrounding areas, underscoring the widening conflict’s regional repercussions.
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In a related development, the U.S. State Department accused Chinese satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. of providing intelligence to the Houthis, enabling them to target U.S. warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on ships, killing four sailors and sinking two vessels, according to U.S. officials. The group claims its assaults are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war, but the disruptions to global shipping have drawn fierce international condemnation.
The strike on Ras Isa has raised fears of an environmental disaster, with oil spills threatening marine life in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Yemen—already ravaged by nearly a decade of war—faces worsening humanitarian crises, with millions displaced and famine looming.
Yemen in Flames: US Airstrike on Yemen’s Oil Port Sparks Outrage as Death Toll Rises.
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