The Yemeni situation has seen an escalation after the US airstrikes hit Ras Issa port in Hodeidah, western Yemen, on Friday, April 18th, early morning. The Yemeni Armed Forces have vowed to avenge the attack.
The American bombing of Ras Issa port killed over 74 Yemeni port employees, government sources informed. The number of injured has risen to 171.
US airstrikes have killed 17 so far and injured dozens others are wounded at the Ras Issa oil port in Hodeidah, western #Yemen.
— East Post (@EastPostIn) April 17, 2025
Most of the victims are port workers. This attack again showed that the US is only striking civilians inside Yemen in its war against #Houthi rebels. pic.twitter.com/GtBByAMVP4
The Yemeni Armed Forces issued a statement on its counterattacks amid the bloodshed in the country.
Calling their actions in “support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their fighters, and in response to the ongoing war of genocide against our brothers in Gaza,” the Yemeni Armed Forces have claimed to have targeted Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in the “occupied Yaffa region” (Tel Aviv region) with a “Zulfiqar” ballistic missile.
Speaking on the confrontation with the US, the Houthi-led Yemeni Armed Forces claimed they will “confront escalation with escalation”.
“For the second month in a row, the Armed Forces continue to effectively and responsibly confront the American aggression against our country. As promised, we will confront escalation with escalation,” the Yemeni Armed Forces’ spokesperson, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, said.
“The missile force, the drone air force, and the naval forces carried out a dual military operation targeting the US aircraft carriers Truman and Vinson and their warships in the Red and Arabian Seas with a number of cruise missiles and drones,” the Yemeni Armed Forces claimed.
“This is the first targeting of the carrier ‘Vinson’ since its arrival in the Arabian Sea,” the Yemeni Armed Forces highlighted.
Earlier, it had claimed that the US had withdrawn USS Harry Truman from the Yemeni coastlines to save it. They also claimed that the Pentagon has rushed over five other carriers to fight the Houthis.
“Our air defences also succeeded in shooting down an American MQ-9 drone while it was carrying out hostile operations in the airspace of Sana’a Governorate, using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile,” the Yemeni Armed Forces claimed.
The Yemeni Armed Forces have released a video showing scenes of the American MQ-9 drone’s wreckage, which was shot down in the skies over Sana’a Governorate by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile on Friday, April 18.
Visit our Telegram channel to watch the video of the US drone’s wreckage.
Brigadier General Saree, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated three points:
First: The American military buildup and the continuation of the aggression against our country will only lead to more attacks, targeting, clashes and confrontations, and will only push Yemen, with its noble people and faithful leadership, to more steadfastness and perseverance in its supportive stance towards the oppressed Palestinian people.
Second: The enemy will reap nothing from escalating its aggression against our country except disappointment, failure, and defeat. Its recently arrived aircraft carrier will not achieve what five previous carriers, which the armed forces successfully confronted, pursued, and forced to leave, failed to achieve.
Third: Dear, free, and independent 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.
“We will not hesitate to carry out the clear directives of God under any amount of American pressure or otherwise. We declare our readiness for any form of escalation and our continued support and assistance for the Palestinian people, both officially and popularly. We affirm the failure of the American aggression against our country to achieve any of its objectives, first and foremost, its inability to break our will and resolve. Despite the ongoing bombing, we march forth in obedience to God Almighty, His Book, His Messenger, and our leader, Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr El‑Din al‑Houthi. We confirm the enemy’s incapacity to weaken our armed forces: our operations continue deep within enemy territory, and our seas are forbidden to their ships,” Brigadier General Saree said in his statement.
Meanwhile, the US renewed its aggression on Sana’a, targeting Bani Hushaysh and Sabeen Districts with over four heavy airstrikes. The US has also attacked Al-Jawf and Saada with four and three airstrikes, respectively, on April 18th.
Qatari media outlet Al-Jazeera quoted Ansarallah Political Bureau member Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti saying, “America boasts about destroying civilian facilities and targeting civilians in Yemen, while we are proceeding with our military operations. We will inflict heavy losses on the American and ‘israeli’ enemies. Wait for surprises in the coming days.”
The US Department of Defense spokesperson denied any major American losses in the war against Yemen. The US claims that despite the tall claims by the Yemeni Armed Forces, they have failed to hit any American soldier or cause any considerable damage to the Pentagon.
