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Video Shows Destruction of Houthis' Ras Isa Fuel Port

A tanker truck burns at a marshaling area at Ras Isa, April 17 (Houthi media)
A tanker truck burns at a marshaling area at Ras Isa, April 17 (Houthi media)

Published Apr 20, 2025 8:05 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

New on-scene footage from the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa shows that last week's airstrike destroyed not only the installation, but also dozens of the commercial tanker trucks that served it. The imagery suggests that most of northwestern Yemen will have difficulty obtaining fuel for the foreseeable future, either for military or civilian purposes. 

Imagery released on social media shows that the attack destroyed about eight storage tanks and multiple truck marshalling areas. One product tanker remained Med-moored at the quayside after the attack, while the port's finger piers had emptied out. The quays have impact craters, but the piers do not appear to have been targeted.

Houthi sources reported the death toll from the strikes at about 80 people, with 150-170 more wounded - likely reflecting the number of drivers at the tanker truck marshalling areas, noted TankerTrackers.com. Burned-out commercial passenger buses at the scene could also have been occupied. 

Rights organizations (and the UN) have protested the U.S. government's decision to strike the port: it was one of the Houthi organization's main sources of revenue and energy, but it also served the civilian population.  

"Echoing the Secretary-General, I am gravely concerned about the impact of the US airstrikes in and around Ras Isa port on civilians, particularly truck drivers and port workers, as well as on civilian infrastructure," said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg. "The cycle of attacks on the Red Sea by Ansar Allah and US airstrikes in response jeopardizes peace efforts and risks drawing Yemen further into the regional conflict."

Additional U.S. strikes were reported in the Farwa neighborhood in the Houthi capital of Sana'a, Yemen, with further deceased and injured personnel. Two carriers are stationed off Yemen's coast for round-the-clock bombardment operations, and multiple targeted strikes were reported across Houthi-controlled areas Saturday and Sunday. The commanding officer of USS Harry S. Truman has confirmed ongoing operations (below).