Keystone-SDA
Strikes, claimed Thursday by Washington, on an oil port in the Hodeida region in Yemen, left “20 dead and 50 injured,” the Houthi rebels said on Friday. American raids in Yemen have been almost daily since mid-March.
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18 avril 2025 – 03:30
(Keystone-ATS) “The results of the victims of the American attack on the oil port in Ras Issa are now 20 dead,” said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health of Houthi. “Five rescuers and paramedics died […] By fulfilling their duty “, while” American assault has again struck the oil port, “he added.
The US military announced Thursday that it had led bombardments that led to the “destruction” of the port. On images broadcast early Friday by the chain of al-massira rebels and presented as the “first images of the American aggression” against the oil port, a ball of fire lights up the area where there are ships, while thick columns of smoke rise above what seems to be a fire.
“Illegal income”
“The Civil Defense Rescue teams and the paramedics are making all their efforts to seek and extract the victims and extinguish the fire,” the spokesman said on Friday.
The American military command for the Middle East (Centcom) explained Thursday that “the objective of these strikes was to attack the economic sources of the power of the Houthis”.
“The United States has taken [ces] Measures to eliminate this source of hydrocarbons for Houthi terrorists, supported by Iran, and deprive them of illegal income which funded the actions of the Houthis to terrorize the whole region for more than ten years, “added the Centcom.
Washington, who appointed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in early March, accuses them of grabbing the income from this port located north of Hodeida. “These hydrocarbons should be legitimately provided to the inhabitants of Yemen,” said Centcom.
Sanctioned bank
Washington imposed sanctions against a bank in Yemen and its main leaders on Thursday, due to its support deemed “essential” to Houthis.
The rebel group entered the Washington crosshairs by triggering, in November 2023, attacks against ships using the Red Sea, disturbing international maritime traffic. The Houthis say they act in solidarity with the Palestinians as part of the war waged by Israel in Gaza.
The American response strikes on Yemen were accentuated in mid-March by US President Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the rebels accused the United States of having led several air strikes against the capital Sanaa, where a person was killed, they said.
