US Air Strikes hit Houthis in Yemen (Ras Isa Fuel Port)
Boutros Hussein, Kanako Mita, and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The United States continues to launch air strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
In March, President Donald Trump said, “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
Henceforth, the armed forces of America are ramping up their military campaign against the Houthis. This is also aimed at notifying Iran that “enough is enough.” Therefore, it is time for Iran to pressurize the Houthis to desist from their attacks against commercial shipping, tankers, and other areas that prevent the freedom of international waterways.
AP News reports, “Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of Sanaa on Friday to protest intense US airstrikes targeting Houthi rebels and to show solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. US airstrikes targeting an oil port held by Yemen’s Houthi rebels killed 74 people and wounded 171 others, the group said Friday, in the deadliest known attack under US President Donald Trump’s new military campaign against the Iranian-backed faction.”
Yemen is divided by several internal forces. This is exacerbated by competing regional nations that form various alliances.
Millions of ordinary Yemenis are caught up in the geopolitical, political, regional, and sectarian struggle that blights Yemen. Accordingly, vast numbers of people in Yemen are blighted by malnutrition, food insecurity, and other health issues.
Despite this, the Houthis focus on the military angle concerning attacking international shipping vessels and launching attacks against Israel.
The BBC reports, “Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They have sunk two vessels, seized a third, and killed four crew members.”
In the last decade, approximately 150,000 people have perished. At the same time, nearly 5 million people have been uprooted. Hence, untold numbers rely on various forms of aid – with malnutrition being a recent reality in this war-torn nation.
U.S. Central Command said, “The Houthis have continued to benefit economically and militarily from countries and companies that provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. The Iran-backed Houthis use fuel to sustain their military operations, as a weapon of control, and to benefit economically from embezzling the profits from the import. This fuel should be legitimately supplied to the people of Yemen. Despite the Foreign Terrorist Designation that went into effect on 05 April, ships have continued to supply fuel via the port of Ras Isa. Profits from these illegal sales are directly funding and sustaining Houthi terrorist efforts.”
U.S. Central Command continued, “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 terrorize 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. This strike was not intended to harm the people of Yemen, who rightly want to throw off the yoke of Houthi subjugation and live peacefully.”
Iran is weakened regionally since Israel killed the majority of the leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Also, the demise of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria further reduced Iran’s geopolitical clout. However, the Houthis remain potent in Yemen – despite the Saudi-led war against the Houthis.
America informed Iran that they are “fully accountable” for the actions of the Houthis.
Recent air strikes against the Houthis will be welcomed by the regional nations of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
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