Deadly US Airstrikes Hit Yemen’s Ras Isa Terminal, Killing at Least 74
Entebbe, April 19, 2025 — The US military has launched airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil terminal, a Houthi-controlled site on the Red Sea coast, killing at least 74 people and wounding 171 others, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
The targeted attack — the deadliest since President Donald Trump ordered intensified bombing last month — is part of a broader campaign aimed at crippling the economic lifelines of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“This was to eliminate a source of illicit fuel revenue for the terrorists,” said US Central Command.
The Houthis condemned the assault as a “war crime,” insisting the site was civilian infrastructure. Videos aired by Houthi-aligned Al Masirah TV showed burning tankers, injured workers, and charred bodies strewn across the port — located 60km north of Hudaydah.
Several paramedics were reportedly killed in a secondary strike while trying to respond to the initial bombardment.
Background and Escalation
Ras Isa was struck by 14 airstrikes late Thursday. Hours later, Israel intercepted a missile reportedly launched from Yemen, though no casualties were reported.
The strikes came after the Houthis intensified their Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks, claiming to support Palestinians in Gaza by targeting vessels linked to Israel, the US, or the UK — although many of their claims have been proven false.
According to Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the rebel group has launched nearly 80 operations since March, including 30 targeting the USS Harry S Truman and 26 aimed at Israel.
The group has dismissed Western military presence and threats, continuing its campaign despite the presence of US warships and repeated air raids.
Trump’s Hardline Strategy
After returning to office in January, President Trump redesignated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, reversing a decision by the Biden administration. He also promised to “completely annihilate” the group if their attacks continued.
Iran, accused of supplying the Houthis with weapons, denied involvement but strongly condemned the Ras Isa strikes as “barbaric.”
Trump also shared footage earlier this month of another strike, showing dozens of men — identified as Houthis — targeted from above. Houthi media claimed they were civilians attending an Eid gathering.
Humanitarian Fallout and Civilian Toll
The civil war in Yemen has caused a humanitarian disaster, with over 150,000 deaths, 4.8 million displaced, and half the population reliant on aid. The latest strikes have worsened an already dire situation, with civilian casualties mounting.
The Houthi leadership has promised retaliation and warned that continued aggression by the US and its allies would bring “grave consequences.”
Thousands of Houthi supporters rallied in Sanaa on Friday, denouncing the strikes and pledging resistance.
