U.S. military warplanes late Thursday bombed Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port, killing at least 58 people, including five health workers, and injuring over 100 others, according to Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
The death toll is expected to rise as emergency teams continue rescue efforts through smoldering wreckage and thick smoke.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed targeting the Red Sea fuel hub, calling it a key source of funding for Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
“These strikes were aimed at degrading the Houthis’ economic engine – used to terrorize the region for over a decade,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X.
Images aired by Al-Masirah early Friday showed an orange fireball engulfing the port, smoke choking the sky, and rescue teams combing through debris in what the network labeled the “first images of U.S. aggression.”
Health Ministry spokesperson Anees Alasbahi said the dead included paramedics, while dozens of port workers were severely wounded. “Body parts are still being identified,” he added grimly.
The Houthis have stepped up missile and drone strikes on commercial and military targets since late 2023, vowing solidarity with Palestinians under siege in Gaza.
On Friday, Israel said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen.
The U.S. and allies like France have responded with near-daily retaliatory strikes since March, aiming to secure the vital Suez Canal shipping route – responsible for roughly 12% of global maritime trade.
Despite the U.S. designating the Houthis a terrorist organization earlier this year, fuel deliveries via Ras Isa continued.
CENTCOM accused the group of embezzling fuel profits to bankroll violence and exert control within Yemen.
French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced Thursday that a French frigate in the Red Sea shot down a drone launched from Yemen, vowing continued protection of maritime freedom.
Washington also turned its sights on Beijing, accusing Chinese satellite firm Chang Guang Satellite Technology of supplying imagery to the Houthis. “This is yet another example of China’s empty peace claims,” said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
Civil defense crews are still battling to extinguish the blaze at Ras Isa, one of Yemen’s main oil export terminals on the Red Sea coast.
The port has long been critical to both Yemen’s economy and the Houthis’ funding network.
President Donald Trump last month vowed “decisive and powerful” military action against the Houthis, threatening to “completely annihilate them” if attacks continue.
The Houthis briefly paused their maritime offensives during a January cease-fire in Gaza but resumed them after Israel restarted airstrikes on the enclave.
More than 51,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza over the last 18 months.
