Rabat – The United States carried out one of its deadliest attacks on Yemen to date on Thursday, April 17, in a strike on the Ras Isa oil port, killing 38 people and injuring 102 others.
Local media aired graphic footage from the aftermath early Friday, showing the bodies of civilians strewn across the port. Reports confirmed that paramedics and civilian workers were among the dead following the massive explosions triggered by the US assault.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the airstrike was not aimed at civilians but rather intended to cut off the Houthis’ fuel supply and “illegal revenue.”
“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,” CENTCOM stated on X.
“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,” it added, without acknowledging the Yemeni civilians killed.
CENTCOM refused to answer questions about the casualties from the Associated Press, and the Pentagon also declined to comment when approached by Reuters.
In response, Houthi official Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi told local media that “the American enemy’s crimes” will not weaken Yemeni support for Gaza, but will instead “strengthen their steadfastness and resilience.”
Since November 2023, the Houthis have reportedly launched more than 100 attacks on vessels linked to Israel in protest of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to demand an end to the blockade of the enclave.
CENTCOM concluded its statement with a warning, saying those who aid the Houthis should know “the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material.”
While the US designates the Houthis a “terrorist group” to justify its military campaign, it conceals the fact that nearly 70% of Yemen’s imports and 80% of its humanitarian aid flow through Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and as-Salif ports.
US media reported earlier this month that nearly $1 billion has already been spent on the campaign since March 15 – deploying some of the world’s most advanced and destructive weaponry against one of its poorest nations.
According to a UNHCR, as of March 2025 over 18 million people in Yemen — half of the population — are in a critical need of humanitarian aid. Over 17 million people face high levels of food insecurity, with 5.1 million already suffering from acute hunger. More than 4.5 million Yemenis — 14% of the population — are currently displaced, many of them multiple times.
The US-led effort to blockade Yemen under the pretext of fighting the Houthis echoes Israel’s brutal siege of Gaza under the guise of targeting Hamas — weaponizing starvation, displacement, and collective punishment, all while portraying itself as the global standard-bearer of democracy and justice.
