How are the Houthis accusing the US and UK of targeting the terminal?Yemen’s Houthi militia has reported that the US and UK have carried out two airstrikes on the Red Sea Ras Isa port in Hodeidah, Yemen. The attacks occurred after the Houthis launched a missile at a Marshall Islands-flagged and UK-linked tanker controlled by Trafigura, causing a fire.
Trafigura, an international trading corporation, reported that the fire was extinguished by the crew and all crew members were safe. The port, which has an oil export facility and is near the decaying floating oil ship Safer, has been a focus of international attention for several years.
The US Central Command conducted the airstrike against an anti-ship missile that the Houthis were about to fire. Yemen’s oil exports from the central province of Marib pass through Ras Isa, while oil from the southern provinces of Hadramout and Shabwa pass through Arabian Sea oil terminals.
The Houthis, a group of Houthi rebels, have launched several naval missiles at British oil tankers, claiming responsibility for the attacks. They claim the actions were in support of the Palestinian people and retribution for UK and US bombings on Yemeni regions.
The Houthis also launched an anti-ship ballistic missile from their control towards the USS Carney in the Gulf of Aden, but it was intercepted by the US Navy. In Houthi-controlled Ibb, residents reported a missile fired from the Al-Hamza military base, which failed to reach its target and exploded shortly after. Experts believe the Houthis will continue to attack US and UK ships, particularly oil tankers, to remain in the spotlight and build popular support.
They are trying to project themselves as a power that can defeat the US-led coalition, using war of attrition and propaganda. Yemen conflict expert Nadwa Al-Dawsari criticized the Houthis for not considering the implications for Yemen or the potential of an environmental disaster.
Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has demanded that foreign relief groups in Yemen transfer their headquarters from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to the southern city of Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital.
The Houthis are known for concealing weaponry within civilian infrastructures, such as ports, to force their enemies to bomb them and exploit footage for propaganda.PLC chairman Rashad Al-Amili plans to support international relief organizations in Aden, accusing Houthis of forcing US and UK humanitarians to leave Yemen within a month.
