US Airstrikes Hit Yemen, Houthi Retaliation Looms : US Launches New Airstrikes on Yemen as Houthi Leader Promises Retaliation

Sanaa, April 19 (NationPress) The US military executed 29 airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in northern Yemen on Saturday, while Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi Revolutionary Committee, declared intentions to retaliate.

As reported by the Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV, the early morning US attacks impacted various sites in and around the capital Sanaa, along with the provinces of Saada and Al-Jawf. There have been no confirmed casualties thus far, as the Houthi group typically refrains from revealing its own losses.

The latest airstrikes came after a deadly wave of US assaults on Thursday night, which targeted and devastated the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa fuel port and concrete tanks that stored imported fuel. Houthi health authorities reported early Saturday that at least 80 individuals had perished and 150 others were injured.

Many of the injured were reported to be in critical condition, and the death toll is anticipated to increase. Among the deceased were port workers and five paramedics, who lost their lives during a subsequent wave of airstrikes while responding to assist the injured, according to Xinhua news agency.

This incident signifies the deadliest US strike since Washington resumed air operations against Houthi targets in mid-March 2025. The devastation of the Ras Isa port, located just northwest of the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, represents a considerable setback for the Houthis, as it serves as a critical fuel supply source for the territories under their control.

The US offensive has provoked widespread condemnation from Iran and various human rights organizations. The Houthi group also issued a stern denunciation, vowing to respond if the airstrikes continue.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a prominent figure in the group, stated via al-Masirah TV, "We will have no red line. Any American interest in the Middle East, when the time comes, we will strike and bomb it. We will not stand idly by." He referenced US-related targets in the region, including oil fields in the Gulf, shipping routes, and US aircraft carriers and warships in the Red and Arabian Seas.

The US Central Command announced on social media platform X on Thursday that it struck and destroyed Ras Isa "to eliminate this source of fuel for" and "degrade the economic source of power" of the Houthis.

This escalation follows the designation of the Houthi group as a "foreign terrorist organization" by the administration of US President Donald Trump on March 4. This designation came after a series of Houthi attacks on Israel and commercial vessels in the Red and Arabian Seas, which began shortly after the onset of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza in late 2023.

On Friday, the Houthis took responsibility for firing a ballistic missile at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport, which was reportedly intercepted by Israeli defense systems. They also claimed to have targeted US aircraft carriers such as the USS Harry S Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea with ballistic and cruise missiles. The US military has not responded to these claims, although the US Central Command previously dismissed assertions of attacks on the Truman as "outlandish."

Tensions between the Houthis and the Trump administration have escalated since Washington resumed airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on March 15, aimed at deterring the group from attacking Israel and US vessels.

The Houthis maintain that their assaults are aimed at exerting pressure on US-backed Israel to cease its offensive against the Gaza Strip and permit humanitarian aid into the enclave. They have framed their actions as a demonstration of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.