A dozen people were reportedly killed and many more were injured after US air strikes targeted Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port early Friday morning.
Video footage released by Al Masirah TV, the Houthi-run broadcaster, captured massive explosions lighting up the night sky across Ras Isa, a critical oil export and humanitarian aid hub.
The graphic scenes later showed flames consuming structures near the waterfront, rubble scattered across the area, and civilians—some severely burned—receiving emergency aid.
One clip featured a charred civilian body, while others showed interviews with injured port workers. The station described the attack as an act of “aggression” that claimed “a number of martyrs” and wounded dozens of employees.
The United Nations Development Programme has classified Ras Isa as “critical and irreplaceable infrastructure.”
Together with nearby Hodeidah and as-Salif ports, Ras Isa handles around 70 percent of Yemen’s imports and 80 percent of its humanitarian assistance—making the impact of the strike potentially devastating for millions in the war-ravaged country.
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An Al Masirah correspondent reported that the Yemeni Red Crescent and civil defence forces had been deployed to extinguish fires and transport victims to hospitals.
Friday’s strike is one of the deadliest US operations in Yemen since the military launched retaliatory attacks on Houthi positions in early 2024. In March, more than 50 people were reported killed during two days of similar US air raids.
A senior Houthi official, Mohammed Nasser al-Atifi, said the “American enemy’s crimes” would not shake the Yemeni people’s support for Gaza. “Rather, it will strengthen their steadfastness and resilience,” he said.
Hours after the Ras Isa bombing, Israel’s military announced the interception of a missile fired from Yemen. It marked yet another escalation in the regional crisis linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on Red Sea vessels they claim are tied to Israel. Washington, in turn, has vowed to continue its military campaign until the Houthi threat to global shipping is neutralized.
Aljazeera news
