US strikes on Yemeni port kill 74 in deadliest attack under Trump, Houthi rebels say
US air strikes on Yemen's Ras Isa oil port have killed at least 74 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 illegal 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.
Houthi supporters burn American and Israeli flags during a rally in Sanaa, 18 April, 2025
AP Photo
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.
Houthi supporters chant slogans during an anti-US rally in Sanaa, 18 April, 2025
AP Photo
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 global 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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Related
'Ruled by warlords eating from rubbish bins': Yemenis reflect on one decade of devastating civil war
Pentagon watchdog to review Hegseth's use of Signal to convey Yemen strike plans
What is Signal and should US officials have used it to share Yemen air strike plans?
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.
ADVERTISEMENT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
11 hours ago
- LeMonde
US envoy meets with the families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv
US envoy Steve Witkoff met anguished relatives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza on Saturday, August 2, as fears for the captives' survival mounted almost 22 months into the war sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack. Witkoff was greeted with some applause and pleas for assistance from hundreds of protesters gathered in Tel Aviv, before going into a closed meeting with the families. Videos shared online showed Witkoff arriving to meet the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, as families chanted "Bring them home!" and "We need your help." The meeting came one day after Witkoff visited a US-backed aid station in Gaza to inspect efforts to get food into the devastated Palestinian territory. Of the 251 hostages taken during the Hamas attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. After the meeting, the Forum released a statement saying Witkoff had given them a personal commitment that he and US President Donald Trump would work to return the remaining hostages. 'Horrifying acts' Hamas has attempted to maintain pressure on the families, on Friday releasing a video of one of the hostages − 24-year-old Evyatar David − for the second time in two days, showing him looking emaciated in a tunnel. The video called for a ceasefire and warned that time was running out for the hostages. David's family said their son was the victim of a "vile" propaganda campaign and accused Hamas of deliberately starving their son. "The deliberate starvation of our son as part of a propaganda campaign is one of the most horrifying acts the world has seen. He is being starved purely to serve Hamas's propaganda," the family said. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday also denounced the video, and one released a day earlier by another Palestinian Islamist group, as "despicable." "They must be freed, without conditions," he posted on X. "Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from ruling Gaza." Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, had been mediating ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel that would allow the hostages to be released and humanitarian aid to flow more freely. But talks broke down last month and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is under increasing domestic pressure to come up with another way to secure the missing hostages, alive and dead. He is also facing international calls to open Gaza's borders to more food aid, after UN and humanitarian agencies warned that more than two million Palestinian civilians are facing starvation. 'Without rest' But Israel's top general warned that there would be no respite in fighting if the hostages were not released. "I estimate that in the coming days we will know whether we can reach an agreement for the release of our hostages," armed forces chief of staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said in a statement. "If not, the combat will continue without rest." Zamir denied that there was widespread starvation in Gaza. "The current campaign of false accusations of intentional starvation is a deliberate, timed and deceitful attempt to accuse the IDF (Israeli military), a moral army, of war crimes," he said.
Euronews
15 hours ago
- Euronews
Voluntary migration or displacement? Gazans face catastrophic reality
How do Palestinians see their future in Gaza and how do they view calls for voluntary migration or displacement from the Strip? In a move that sparked widespread controversy at the time, the Israeli government announced months ago that it had approved a plan to establish a special department to organise what it described as "safe, voluntary migration" of Gaza residents to foreign countries. This was done in the context of the more than 20-month war in Gaza following Hamas's attack on southern Israel that killed around 1,200 Israelis and captured 251 hostages. The decision was based on a proposal submitted by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, which was then approved by the Israeli cabinet. According to a statement issued by his office, the new department will be tasked with coordinating transfers in cooperation with international organisations and stakeholders. Its tasks will include supervising the organisation of departures from the Gaza Strip crossings, conducting the necessary security checks and developing an infrastructure that allows land, sea and air travel to third countries. The plan's announcement coincided with an increasingly worsening internal displacement crisis in Gaza due to the ongoing war. Human rights groups and humanitarian organisations have warned of the political and social repercussions of these policies. They say they are seen as a prelude to a forced displacement scheme under the guise of being "voluntary." An old policy renewed: From Dayan to Netanyahu The intention to depopulate Gaza was not new or linked only to the recent war. In fact, it goes back decades. On 12 June 1967, after the capture of Gaza, then Israeli Security Minister Moshe Dayan described the strip as a "complex problem", signalling Israel's negative perception of the region. During the signing of the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, the late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin expressed his wish to "go to the sea or drown in it," expressing his wish to completely separate the Gaza Strip from Israel. In the recent war, diplomatic leaks revealed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed, during a meeting with former US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on 12 October 2023, the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to "transfer Gaza residents to Egypt." This proposal was met with initial reservations by the US. It was followed by a more strident statement from Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who said: "There will be no humanitarian crisis in Gaza if there are no civilians." Initial displacement and increasing talk of migration as the war intensifies After the war in Gaza broke out following Hamas' October 7 attack, more than 120,000 Palestinians - mostly dual nationals - were able to leave the Strip through the Rafah land crossing toward Egypt and other countries. It is estimated that the number of dual nationals in Gaza is around 300,000. This reflects a sizeable base in the population which theoretically has the option to leave. As Israel's military operations intensified, the scope of destruction expanded and famine reached catastrophic levels. There was increasing talk among Gazans about migration as a way to escape the war. On the other hand, voices have emerged which categorically reject the idea and insist on staying in the Strip despite heavy deaths and deteriorating humanitarian conditions. This reflects a deep social division over the future of Gaza and its residents under the ongoing war. Palestinians refuse to migrate despite the bombardment: 'It's easier to die here than to leave' In a simple tent in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Mohsen al-Ghazi, 34, displaced from the Juhr al-Dik area, sits and recounts his story. It's similar to that of thousands of Palestinians whose lives have been destroyed under Israeli bombardment. Al-Ghazi lost his home, his eldest son was killed and his parents died under the rubble of the house, yet he insists on staying in Gaza and categorically rejects the idea of emigration. "I will not leave this land," he says. "It is easier to die here than to give the occupation an opportunity to fulfil its lies." He emphasises that his position does not stem from emotion, but from religious, patriotic and moral conviction. He even rejects the idea of a mass exodus, which some are hinting at.** "Even if the occupation sends ships to transport us, I will not leave." Al-Ghazi expressed his regret for some young people who are considering emigration under the weight of suffering, stressing that "individual salvation means abandoning our responsibility to defend this land." "How can we repeat the mistake of the Nakba and voluntarily leave our homes?" In Nuseirat camp, Sami al-Dali, 45, echoes the same attitude despite losing half of his home to shelling. "Displacement is a failed Israeli project, and I will not be a stone in its wall." He believes that the suffering of the residents does not justify abandonment, but he does not condemn those who decide to leave, adding: "To each his own, and those who leave may return or serve the cause from abroad." Al-Ghazi and al-Dali agree that the displacement projects that the Israeli government has tried to impose have failed in the face of the Palestinians' attachment to their land. "Tell the world that we are a people who choose to die on our land and not sell it," al-Ghazi said, while al-Dali emphasised that "every stone here testifies that Palestine is not for sale." Displaced people in Gaza: 'We can't take it anymore' In light of the ongoing war and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, Bilal Hassanin believes that the option of emigration has become an "urgent necessity" despite its difficulty. Hassanin, who lost his family home and has been displaced several times, is now on crutches after being injured near Netzarim. He says: "I lost everything. I can no longer complete my university studies, no food, no water, no electricity." "The Gaza Strip has been destroyed, and the chances of building a future here are diminishing day by day." Hassanin adds that his dream is to find a safe environment outside Gaza that will enable him to regain his life and fulfil his dreams, at a time when life in the Strip has become almost impossible. The same vision is shared by Zakaria Farajallah, who has been injured three times, causing issues with foot tendons, brain and digestive disorders. "Through my medical file, I am trying to get an opportunity for treatment abroad, and I will take advantage of this exit to seek asylum, because the Gaza Strip has become a terrifying and unliveable place." Farajallah's wife, Hanin Akl, also emphasises that staying is next to impossible, especially as she is pregnant and caring for two other children. She says: "We lost our home and have been travelling from one displacement camp to another, and my husband's injury has added to our suffering." "We urgently need to travel for a safe environment for us and our children. Hanin, who holds a bachelor's degree in laboratory medicine, said that she hopes that leaving Gaza will give her an opportunity to build a more stable future for her family. Official and international warnings The Israeli plan for the voluntary migration of Gazans has been met with widespread Palestinian rejection and international warnings. Hamas described what is being promoted under the name of "voluntary migration" as a forced displacement scheme aimed at "liquidating the Palestinian cause" and emptying Gaza of its inhabitants. In the same context, the United Nations confirmed that "voluntary migration" has no legitimacy in the context of war, siege and noted that forced displacement is a crime under international law. Human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch and UNRWA, have also warned that the Israeli plan threatens to reproduce the Nakba. They called for the right of Palestinians to remain on their land to be respected rather than forcing them to leave under pressure and hunger.
LeMonde
15 hours ago
- LeMonde
US court upholds order blocking immigration agents' patrols in California
A US appeals court has upheld an order blocking immigration agents from carrying out patrols in California. The patrols have led to indiscriminate detentions without reasonable grounds to suspect people of being undocumented immigrants. The ruling, delivered by a three-judge panel late on Friday, August 2, denies the federal government's appeal to overturn a temporary July order to halt "roving patrols" in Los Angeles, which immigration rights groups have described as illegally using racial profiling. California residents and advocacy groups sued the Department of Homeland Security over the detentions. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong had ordered an end to the arrests. She had argued that such actions by agents violate a person's constitutional rights, which safeguard against unreasonable seizures by the government. She had said the detentions were being made "based upon race alone," on whether a person was speaking Spanish or English with an accent or because of their place of work, and ordered them stopped. The Jason Gavidia case Friday's ruling by the US Ninth Circuit Court of appeals described the case of plaintiff Jason Gavidia. A US citizen, born and raised in East Los Angeles, Gavidia was arrested outside a tow yard in Montebello by agents carrying military-style rifles on June 12. "The agents repeatedly asked Gavidia whether he is American – and they repeatedly ignored his answer: 'I am an American,'" the ruling said. Agents asked what hospital he was born in, and Gavidia responded he did not know, but said he was born in "East LA." The court said Gavidia told the agents he could show them his government-issued ID. "The agents took Gavidia's ID and his phone and kept his phone for 20 minutes. They never returned his ID." A victory against ICE raids Los Angeles and the surrounding suburbs have been ground zero for President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. He ordered the US military deployed there for weeks, and agents have rounded up migrants at car washes, bus stops, stores and farms. The ruling said the government's defense team argued that "certain types of businesses, including car washes, were selected for encounters because (...) they are likely to employ persons without legal documentation." Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Rights groups hailed the order as a victory for those seeking to bar the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from conducting the raids. "This decision is further confirmation that the administration's paramilitary invasion of Los Angeles violated the Constitution and caused irreparable injury across the region," said attorney Mohammad Tajsar of the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. "We look forward to holding the federal government accountable for these authoritarian horrors it unleashed in Southern California."
