Houthis Say 74 Dead After U.S. Strikes Ras Isa Port

Topline

The U.S. struck a fuel port in Yemen Thursday in an attack the Houthis said killed 74 people, as the Trump administration continues to attack the Houthis, a rebel group supported by Iran that was re-designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 2024 over its attacks in the Red Sea.

Key Facts

Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry, said in a post on X early Friday that the death toll had risen to 74, more than 170 people had been injured and they were still working to identify missing people and victims.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement posted to X on Thursday the U.S. wanted to attack Ras Isa to “degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis” and forces “took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of illegal revenue.”

Ras Isa port, which had previously been targeted by Israel’s military operations in December and January, was viewed by the U.S. as a key place used by the militant group to launch attacks on ships, and as a hub for fuel imports, Reuters reported.

Thursday’s strikes were the deadliest military action that has happened since President Donald Trump ordered strikes on the Houthis in March, the Associated Press reported.

Why Did The U.s. Strike Yemen?

On March 15, Trump ordered the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis, which marked the most notable military action of his second term. Trump said in a social media post he directed the strikes in response to the Houthis’ “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism,” likely referring to the group attacking ships in the Red Sea, which the Houthis had been doing since late 2023, claiming solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel. In his post, Trump said attacks from the Houthis “will not be tolerated,” adding: “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.” Trump also criticized former President Joe Biden’s response to the Houthi attacks, saying it was “pathetically weak” and allowed the Houthis to keep attacking.

Key Background

The Iran-based Houthis are a Shiite militant group that seized Yemen’s capital in 2014, and was designated a foreign terrorist organization near the end of Trump’s first term. Trump received criticism for designating them an FTO because it limited the amount of aid civilians in Yemen could get, and Biden removed the designation After the Houthis began attacking shipping vessels in the Red Sea—a major international trade port—in November 2023, Biden threatened a U.S. response “if they continue this outrageous behavior.” They were redeclared an FTO in January 2024, and the U.S. began conducting airstrikes against them.

Further Reading

U.S. Lists Houthis As Terrorist Group After ‘Unprecedented’ Red Sea Attacks (Forbes)

Trump Orders Military Strikes Against Houthis In Yemen And Threatens Iran (Forbes)

US strike on Yemen fuel port kills at least 58, Houthi media say (Reuters)