U.S. airstrikes targeting a Yemeni oil port killed 20 people, Houthis say

U.S. airstrikes in Yemen target Houthi rebels, sparking casualties and escalating tensions with Iran.

U.S. airstrikes targeting the Ras Isa oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 20 people and wounded 50 others, the group said early Friday.

The strikes, confirmed by the U.S. military’s Central Command, represent one of the highest death tolls so far in the campaign launched under President Donald Trump that has involved hundreds of strikes since March 15.

The Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel aired graphic footage of the aftermath of the attack, showing corpses strewn across the site. It claimed paramedic and civilians workers at the port had been killed in the attack, which sparked a massive explosion and fires.

In a statement, Central Command said that “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.”

“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,” it added. It did not acknowledge any casualties.

On April 9, the U.S. State Department issued a warning about oil shipments to Yemen.

“The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports,” it said.