A U.S. airstrike targeting the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa oil port in western Yemen killed at least 58 people and injured 126 others, Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported Friday. The attack marks the deadliest known strike under President Donald Trump’s campaign against the Iranian-backed militant group.
The airstrikes triggered massive explosions at the port, located in Yemen’s Hodeidah governorate along the Red Sea. The site, which includes fuel storage tanks and refining infrastructure, serves as a terminal for oil entering Houthi territory. Videos posted online showed fireballs lighting up the sky as storage tanks burned.
U.S. airstrikes tonight destroyed large parts of Ras Isa Fuel Port which had been used by the Houthis in Yemen
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 18, 2025
U.S. CENTCOM has announced that precision strikes destroyed the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen. The action was taken to disrupt the group’s financial lifelines, as the site was reportedly used to facilitate illicit fuel sales that funded their ongoing terrorist… pic.twitter.com/G9GUtfl23w
— GMI (@Global_Mil_Info) April 18, 2025
According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the strike aimed to degrade the Houthis’ economic and military capacity by destroying a key fuel facility. “Today, 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,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
Destruction of Houthi Controlled Ras Isa Fuel Port
The Houthis have continued to benefit economically and militarily from countries and companies that provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The Iran-backed Houthis use fuel to sustain their… pic.twitter.com/SRiELV4juk
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) April 17, 2025
The military did not confirm casualty figures and has released no imagery or additional details about the scope of the operation.
In response to a Reuters query about civilian deaths, CENTCOM said it had no information beyond its initial announcement. The Houthis claimed the dead included paramedics and civilian workers at the port.
The U.S. says the Houthis have used Ras Isa Port as an economic lifeline, importing and profiting from fuel shipments in violation of a Foreign Terrorist Organization designation imposed on April 5. “The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen,” CENTCOM stated.
The Houthis, in turn, accused the United States of targeting civilians and violating Yemeni sovereignty. “This completely unjustified aggression represents a flagrant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and independence,” read a statement from the group published by the state-run SABA news agency.
Iran condemned the attack, calling it a “barbaric U.S. air strike” and a violation of international law. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei labeled it “an example of aggressive crime,” according to AFP.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has declared that U.S. operations will continue until the Houthis cease their attacks on international shipping. “The campaign will be unrelenting,” he stated earlier this month.
In addition to military strikes, the U.S. Treasury on Friday imposed new sanctions on the International Bank of Yemen, citing financial support for the Houthis. The State Department also warned foreign companies against providing logistical or material support to Houthi-controlled ports.
The latest escalation coincides with renewed nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, set to begin in Rome on Saturday. The Trump administration has suggested that the air campaign may serve as added pressure on Tehran.
The full extent of damage to the Ras Isa facility remains unknown. NASA fire-mapping satellites recorded intense heat signatures at the site early Friday.
Yesterday, the U.S. accused China of enabling Houthi attacks via satellite imagery. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce alleged that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd., a Chinese firm sanctioned in 2023, has directly supported targeting efforts by the Houthis. Beijing has not commented on the claim.
As of Friday, U.S. officials maintain that further strikes remain on the table. “Those who aid and abet Houthi terrorist actions should be put on notice,” CENTCOM said. “The world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organization.”
