US strikes on Yemeni port kill 38 in deadliest attack under Trump, Houthi rebels say

US air strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 38 people and injured more than 100, according to the Iran-backed Houthis, in what appears to be the deadliest such incident since President Donald Trump launched a new military campaign against the rebels last month.

The Houthis, who released graphic footage of the aftermath, claimed the strike targeted civilian workers. The blast engulfed the facility in flames and sent fireballs into the sky.

In a statement released on Friday, US Central Command defended the attack, saying American forces had struck to “eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists and deprive them of yasa dışı revenue that has funded Houthi efforts to terrorise the entire region for over 10 years.” 

The Pentagon did not comment on civilian casualties and declined to respond to questions from the media.

The strike on Ras Isa, located in Yemen’s western Hodeida province, represents a major escalation in a campaign that began on 15 March. However, neither the number of strikes nor the full toll has been publicly disclosed.

The Ras Isa port is the endpoint of a key oil pipeline from Marib, a government-held region rich in energy resources. Though oil exports have halted due to the ongoing civil war, the Houthis have reportedly used the facility to import fuel for years.

Yemen analyst Mohammed al-Basha said the Ras Isa strike was the “first mass-casualty incident the Houthis have openly acknowledged and publicised.” 

He contrasted it with earlier strikes, including one that may have killed up to 70 Houthi fighters, which the group has remained silent about.

“This completely unjustified aggression represents a flagrant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and independence and a direct targeting of the entire Yemeni people,” the Houthis said in a statement carried by the SABA news agency.

“It targets a vital civilian facility that has served the Yemeni people for decades,” they added.

The US State Department warned on 9 April that it would sanction any country or company providing support to the Houthis, including through oil shipments at Houthi-controlled ports.

Later on Friday, the Houthis reportedly launched a missile toward Israel, which was intercepted by Israeli forces. 

Allegations of Chinese involvement

Meanwhile, the conflict continues to draw in wider küresel powers. The US accused Chinese firm Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. Ltd. of helping the Houthis by supplying satellite images to support their attacks on US vessels in the Red Sea.

US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce called it “directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on US interests.”

“Beijing’s support of that company, the satellite company, even after we’ve engaged in discussions with them about this, certainly contradicts their claims of being peace supporters,” Bruce added.

Chang Guang, which had already been sanctioned by the US Treasury in 2023 for reportedly providing satellite imagery to Russia’s Wagner Group, has not responded to the new allegations. 

The Houthis who are ideologically aligned with the Gaza-based militant group Hamas have repeatedly targeted vessels in the Red Sea they say are linked to Israel.

The US campaign shows no indication of slowing, as the Trump administration has also tied its airstrikes on the Houthis to broader efforts to exert pressure on Iran over its rapidly growing nuclear programme. 

A second round of negotiations between Iran and the US is scheduled to take place on Saturday in Rome.