LAST UPDATE | 18 Apr

THE DEATH TOLL from US strikes on a Yemeni fuel port has risen to 74 people, Houthi rebels said Friday, in the deadliest attack of Washington’s campaign against the Iran-backed group.

The strikes also wounded more than 170 people, a Houthi official said.

The US military said its attack on the Ras Issa fuel terminal on the Red Sea aimed to cut off a source of supplies and funds for the Houthis, who control large swathes of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country.

Last night’s attack, the latest in an intense wave of attacks under President Donald Trump, came just before the US resumes negotiations in Rome with Iran over its nuclear programme tomorrow.

Rescue teams were still searching for victims.

Medics carry the body of a person killed in the strikes. Alamy Alamy

The attack sparked protests in rebel-held areas. Rebels vowed to hit back, announcing they targeted two US aircraft carriers and Israel.

Satellite imagery analysed by The Associated Press revealed destroyed tanks and other vehicles at the scene of the air strike.

The US military has hammered the Houthis with near-daily air strikes in a bid to end their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Citing solidarity with Palestinians, the rebels began attacking the key maritime routes and Israeli territory after the Gaza war began in October 2023.

In a statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said: “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 objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis, who continue to exploit and bring great pain upon their fellow countrymen.”

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.

Houthi attacks have hampered shipping through the Suez — a vital route that normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic — forcing many companies into a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa.

© AFP 2025, additional reporting by Nicky Ryan