Sanaa: Yemen’s Houthis rebels have vowed to continue their military operations against Israel and the United States following deadly airstrikes on the Ras Isa oil port that killed at least 74 people, CNN reported.
“Yemen will not back down from continuing its support operations for the Palestinian people until the Israeli aggression on Gaza stops and the siege is lifted,” the Houthi-controlled armed forces in Yemen said in a statement, as reported by CNN.
The group also warned that US “aggression” would “only lead to further targeting, engagement, and confrontation.”
Thursday’s strikes by US forces marked one of the deadliest attacks in Yemen, leaving at least 74 and 171 others injured, as reported by Al Jazeera.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the strikes were aimed at cutting off the Houthis’ fuel and revenue sources, describing the operation as an effort to target the economic power of the Iran-backed group.
In a post on social media on Thursday, CENTCOM said, “Today, US forces took action to eliminate this source of fuel for the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists. The objective of these strikes was to degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis.”
The US has been carrying out airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-march, targeting their oil refineries, airports and missile sites.
US President Donald Trump had vowed to use “overwhelming force” until Washington achieves its goal of stopping the Houthis from targeting shipping in the Red Sea.
Earlier, the US military’s attack on Ras Isa port had killed at least 38, while about 102 have also been injured, Hodeidah’s health office reported.
Houthis have launched numerous missiles against Israel and disrupted shipping in the Red Sea in what they say is in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel’s war in Gaza since the October 7, 2023, attacks, CNN reported.