Sana’a, Apr 18 (V7N)-  At least 38 people have been killed and over 100 injured in a devastating US airstrike on the Houthi-controlled Ras Issa oil port in western Yemen, in what is being described as one of the deadliest attacks since Washington began its military campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi forces.

The strike, carried out on Thursday, targeted key infrastructure at the port, which the US military claims is being used to fuel the Houthi offensive in the Red Sea. According to Al Masirah TV, citing the Hodeidah Health Office, 102 people were injured, and officials fear the death toll may rise further.

The US Central Command said in a post on social media that the operation was intended to cut off the Houthis’ economic power base, as the Ras Issa facility is considered crucial for their fuel supply and logistics.

“This was a direct strike against the Houthis’ financial and operational capabilities,” the post stated.

The United States has issued a stern warning, declaring that it will continue striking Houthi targets until the group halts its armed attacks on international shipping routes in the Red Sea, which have severely disrupted global trade.

The Houthis have targeted numerous commercial vessels in recent months, claiming they are protesting Western support for Israel and its war in Gaza.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has previously identified Ras Issa as a critical lifeline for Yemen, handling approximately 70% of the country’s imports and 80% of humanitarian aid. The destruction of infrastructure at the port could severely worsen Yemen’s ongoing humanitarian crisis, already considered one of the worst in the world.

International humanitarian agencies have expressed concern that continued strikes on critical infrastructure could have catastrophic consequences for millions of Yemeni civilians already suffering from famine, disease, and displacement.

The US-led coalition began striking Houthi targets earlier this year in response to the group's continued disruption of Red Sea maritime traffic, a move Washington says threatens international trade and regional stability. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen, have vowed to continue their operations unless Israel ends its military offensive in Gaza.

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