US air raids hit a key fuel hub on April 17, cutting vital access to the Bab al‑Mandeb strait and reviving fears of renewed shipping threats.
US strikes Yemen’s Ras Isa oil terminal one of the busiest fuel hubs on the Bab al‑Mandeb shipping lane killed dozens and injured over a hundred people on April 17, disrupting a crucial artery for global maritime trade. The terminal, capable of storing some 3 million barrels of fuel, lies just north of Hodeidah and serves as a lifeline for both commercial shipping and humanitarian aid into Yemen. This strike part of a broader U.S. campaign launched in mid‑March comes amid renewed Houthi threats to target merchant vessels traversing the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza, echoing the spike in maritime attacks seen earlier this year during the Israel‑Hamas war.
Strike Details and Immediate Impact
On April 17, the U.S. Central Command reported executing 14 precision airstrikes against Ras Isa’s storage tanks and tanker trucks, aiming to “degrade the economic source of power of the Houthis”. Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said at least 58 people were killed and 126 wounded, including port workers and emergency responders who rushed in to help. Other sources reported even higher tolls up to 80 killed and 150 injured with vivid footage showing flames engulfing fuel installations and charred vehicles strewn across the compound. Satellite imagery confirmed widespread destruction to storage tanks and loading arms, raising concerns over oil leaks polluting the Red Sea.
Strategic Importance of the Bab al‑Mandeb Route
The Bab al‑Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and handles roughly 10 percent of all seaborne oil traffic, as well as container and bulk shipments bound for Europe and Asia. Disruptions here can force vessels to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, adding weeks to transit times and dramatically increasing shipping costs. Insurers have already raised rates on Red Sea voyages by over 50 percent since Houthi drone and missile attacks resumed in March, citing a “significant uptick in the threat profile against commercial maritime traffic”.
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Echoes of the Israel‑Hamas War Spillover
Since November 2023, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have intermittently targeted merchant vessels, striking at least 100 ships and sinking two, in what they describe as retaliation for Israeli operations in Gaza. In one high‑profile incident in February 2024, a Houthi anti‑ship missile struck a commercial tanker, prompting CENTCOM to destroy the launcher in self‑defence and warning of “a clear and imminent threat to merchant vessels”. Although the Houthis briefly paused attacks during a January Gaza ceasefire, they pledged to resume targeting Israel‑linked shipping once the truce collapsed an escalation that precipitated the U.S. strikes this month.
Regional Reactions and Shipping Industry Warnings
The Houthis denounced the Ras Isa raid as a “war crime” against civilian infrastructure and vowed to intensify missile assaults on U.S. and Israeli vessels. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the strikes as “barbaric aggression,” while analysts warn that without a diplomatic breakthrough, airstrikes alone will not deter Houthi operations or stabilize shipping lanes. Shipping associations are urging vessels to exercise “extreme caution” and reroute where possible, as UN agencies warn that further escalation could choke off vital food and fuel imports to Yemen and beyond.
By striking one of Yemen’s most critical oil terminals, the United States has underscored the geopolitical stakes of the Red Sea corridor. With the Bab al‑Mandeb under renewed threat from missile and drone barrages to potential oil spills the global shipping community faces heightened risks reminiscent of last year’s Israel‑Hamas spillover. Unless regional and international stakeholders can forge a ceasefire or security arrangement, merchant vessels will likely continue to navigate these waters under the shadow of conflict.
