US strikes destroy Yemen fuel port used by Houthis

AFP | Washington

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American forces destroyed the Ras Issa fuel port in Yemen yesterday in a bid to cut off a source of supplies and funds for the country’s Houthi rebels, the US military said. Washington has hammered the Huthis with near-daily air strikes since March 15 in a bid to end their attacks on civilian shipping and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The rebels began their attacks in late 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

“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 terrorise the entire region for over 10 years,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

“The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Huthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen,” CENTCOM said.

Ships “have continued to supply fuel via the port of Ras Issa” despite Washington designating the rebels a foreign terrorist organisation earlier this year, the military command added, without specifying the source of the fuel.