U.S. Escalates Airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthis

U.S. forces struck a major Houthi-controlled port on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had been destroyed.

More than a dozen people were killed in the attack on Ras Isa Fuel Port on Thursday night, according to Houthi and Yemeni media.

Why It Matters

The airstrikes mark a significant blow to a fuel source used by the Iran-backed group in their military operations, nearly a month after President Donald Trump ordered a decisive operation against the Houthis.

Also known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis have disrupted a vital trade route with hundreds of missile attacks and blockades on ships since the Gaza war erupted in 2023 between Hamas and Israel. They have said their attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians.

What To Know

“Today, US 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 revealed in a Thursday statement.

Ras Isa Fuel Port is a Houthi-controlled oil terminal on Yemen’s Red Sea coast, in the Hodeidah Governorate, used for fuel storage and export, though distinct from the city’s main commercial port.

At least 20 people, five of them rescue workers, were killed in the U.S. attacks, the Houthi-run Saba News Agency reported. It said 65 people were wounded.

CENTCOM said the strike “was not intended to harm the people of Yemen.”

The U.S. has launched airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory, including Sana’a and other parts in Yemen, since March 15.

The Trump administration reinstated the Houthis on its list of foreign terrorist organizations, with the Treasury Department targeting multiple regional and international companies with sanctions for providing material support, including in Russia and the UAE.

“Ships have continued to supply fuel via the port of Ras Isa. Profits from these illegal sales are directly funding and sustaining Houthi terrorist efforts,” CENTCOM said.

The group has continued to claim attacks on the USS Harry S. Truman military aircraft operating in the Red Sea, although no damage has been reported. Earlier this month, the USS Carl Vinson was also deployed in the Arabian Sea.

Ansar Allah vowed military escalation in support of Hamas and the Palestinian people, accusing the U.S. of complicity in Israel’s military actions since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said Thursday that the group had launched more than 170 attacks on Israel with drones and missiles over the past month. Israel did not report major damage, saying most have been intercepted.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM): “The Houthis, their Iranian masters, and those who knowingly aid and abet their terrorist actions should be put on notice that the world will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war material to a terrorist organization.”

Nasruddin Amer, Head of Houthi-controlled Saba News Agency told Newsweek: “The U.S. has not even been able to ensure the passage of a single Israeli ship, nor has it managed to stop the launch of missiles and drones deep into Israeli territory, including the targeting of occupied Tel Aviv–Jaffa.”

U.S. Treasury Department Deputy Secretary Michael Faulkender: “Treasury remains committed to working with the internationally recognized government of Yemen to disrupt the Houthis’ ability to secure funds and procure key components for their destabilizing attacks.”

What Happens Next

The strike on Ras Isa marks a further escalation. Reports have also surfaced of a possible ground offensive against the Houthis by forces loyal to the internationally recognized Yemen government.