U.S. strikes on the Ras Isa fuel port in western Yemen killed at least 38 people on Thursday, according to Houthi-run media, making it one of the deadliest days since Washington began targeting the Iran-backed group.
Al Masirah TV said the strikes, which the U.S. military said were carried out to cut off a source of fuel for the Houthi militant group, also wounded 102 people.
The U.S. began large-scale strikes last month against the Houthis, saying it won’t stop unless they cease their attacks on Red Sea shipping.
“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,” the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
Chinese Aid
The U.S. State Department on Thursday accused a Chinese firm, Chang Guang Satellite Technology, of directly supporting attacks on U.S. interests by Iran-backed Houthi fighters and called this “unacceptable”.
Earlier, the Financial Times cited U.S. officials as saying that the satellite company, linked to China’s military, was supplying Houthi rebels with imagery to target U.S. warships and international vessels in the Red Sea.
‘Unacceptable’
“We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests,” State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce told a regular news briefing.
“China consistently attempts … to frame itself as a global peacemaker … however, it is clear that Beijing and China-based companies provide key economic and technical support to regimes like Russia, North Korea and Iran and its proxies,” she said.
Bruce said the assistance by the firm to the Houthis had continued even though the United States had engaged with Beijing on the issue.
“The fact that they continue to do this is unacceptable,” she said.
Charge Amid Tariff War
The spokesperson for China’s Washington embassy, Liu Pengyu, said he was not familiar with the situation, so had no comment. The firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
China is Washington’s main strategic rival and the latest charge comes as the two economic and military superpowers are in a major standoff over trade in which U.S. President Donald Trump has dramatically ramped up tariffs on Chinese goods.
(With inputs from Reuters)
