At least 38 people were killed and 102 injured in air strikes carried out by United States forces on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported on Friday, citing local health authorities.
The Hodeidah Health Office confirmed the casualties following Thursday’s strikes, making the attack one of the deadliest launched by US forces in the country.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the operation targeted fuel supplies used by the Iran-aligned Houthi group, describing the port as a critical economic asset for the movement.
“Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue,” read a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US military operations in the Middle East.
CENTCOM stated on social media. “The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis.”
The Pentagon has not commented on the casualty figures, according to Reuters.
Reported by Al-Jazeera, the strikes hit multiple areas near Ras Isa, a strategic port facility that handles both oil exports and humanitarian imports.
“The first four air raids were waged while the people were working,” al-Attab reported, noting that truck drivers and port employees were caught by surprise.
The strikes have sparked widespread condemnation within Yemen. Ras Isa, along with the ports of Hodeidah and as-Salif, handles around 70 percent of the country’s imports and 80 percent of its humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations Development Programme.
Footage released by Al Masirah TV showed large explosions lighting up the night sky and scenes of destruction, including fires, rubble and graphic images of casualties. Civil defence and Yemeni Red Crescent teams were deployed to assist survivors and contain the damage.
In a statement to Al Masirah, Houthi official Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi condemned the attack, calling it a crime that would only “strengthen the steadfastness” of the Yemeni people in supporting Gaza.
The strike comes amid ongoing tensions in the region. Just hours after the attack, Israel’s military reported intercepting a missile fired from Yemen.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on maritime vessels they claim are linked to Israel, in protest against the war in Gaza.
The United States has warned that military action will continue until the group halts its attacks on Red Sea shipping routes.
