The Health Office in Hodeidah Governorate has confirmed a sharp rise in casualties following US airstrikes on the Ras Isa oil facility in western Yemen, reporting at least 38 fatalities and over 100 injuries in a preliminary toll.

The strikes, carried out late on April 17 night, have been described as one of the deadliest recent escalations in the region, Caliber.Az reports per Yemeni media.

Thus, US warplanes conducted 14 air raids on the Ras Isa port, killing several workers at the site. The location was reportedly targeted again while civil defence teams were engaged in rescue operations, resulting in further casualties among emergency personnel.

Medical teams in Hodeidah are said to be under immense pressure as they work to treat those injured and burned in the strikes. The Hodeidah Health Office described the situation as dire, with hospitals overwhelmed by the scale of the attack.

The incident marks a significant escalation in the US military campaign in Yemen, which began on March 15, 2025. The air campaign followed Yemen’s renewed retaliatory operations against Israel in response to Tel Aviv’s intensified offensive in Gaza. Since then, US forces have repeatedly targeted infrastructure across Yemen—including communication networks, power plants and water facilities—on a near-daily basis.

While Washington maintains that its operations are aimed at securing freedom of navigation in regional waters, Yemeni officials have rejected this justification. They argue that their naval activities are exclusively focused on Israeli-linked vessels and pose no threat to international shipping.

Human rights activists have condemned the airstrikes, describing the attack in Hodeidah as a “massacre” and a sign of US frustration. Critics claim the strikes expose what they call the “brutal face” of both the US and Israel in the region.

In a statement justifying the operation, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said:

“The Houthis have continued to benefit economically and militarily from countries and companies that provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The Iran-backed Houthis use fuel to sustain their military operations, as a weapon of control, and to benefit economically from embezzling the profits from the import. This fuel should be legitimately supplied to the people of Yemen.”

The US added that recent fuel imports had continued via the Ras Isa port despite a Foreign Terrorist Designation that came into effect on April 5:

“Despite the Foreign Terrorist Designation that went into effect on April 5, 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.”

The statement further outlined Washington’s rationale for targeting the facility:

“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.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev

Source: caliber.az