Cliff Notes
- At least 38 reportedly dead in American strikes on Yemen
- US air strikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in Yemen have reportedly resulted in at least 38 fatalities and over 100 injuries, according to Houthi-run media.
- The strikes mark a significant escalation in the US military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi group, ongoing since last month amid threats to Red Sea shipping lanes.
- US Central Command asserts the strikes aim to weaken the Houthis’ economic power, distancing itself from any collateral damage to Yemeni civilians.
At least 38 reportedly dead in American strikes on Yemen
At least 38 people have been killed in US air strikes on a fuel port in Yemen, Houthi-run media has said.
Al Masirah TV reported the attack on the Ras Isa site also left 102 victims injured.
If confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest days since Donald Trump‘s administration launched a military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi group last month.
The US has said the strikes won’t cease unless the Houthis stop targeting Red Sea shipping lanes, which have been regularly bombarded since November 2023.
The Houthis say their attacks are in protest over the war in Gaza, though they stopped during a two-month ceasefire earlier this year and have not claimed any since the Israeli offensive resumed in March.
In a post on X, US Central Command said its latest attack was to “degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen”.
It added: “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.”
The US has not commented on the reported number of deaths and injuries.
Similar missile strikes against the Houthis were carried out multiple times by the Biden administration, in response to attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
Additional sources
Houthis report at least 38 killed in US airstrikes on Yemen oil port – The Times of Israel
IDF Says Aerial Defense Systems Intercepted Missile Launched From Yemen – Haaretz
U.S. airstrikes targeting a Yemeni oil port killed 38 people, Houthis say – National Post