Barran Press
Defying significant damage from recent US airstrikes, the Houthi-controlled Yemeni Petroleum Company announced Thursday the resumption of operations at the strategic Ras Issa oil port on the Red Sea in Hudeidah governorate. The move follows the US President's declaration of a halt to attacks against the group.
According to a company statement, the pumping of gasoline and diesel has recommenced from docked vessels to tankers serving Houthi-administered governorates. This restart comes after the completion of urgent repairs to rehabilitate loading platforms at the port.
The US military had announced in mid-April the extensive damage inflicted on the Ras Issa fuel port, citing 14 airstrikes that reportedly caused over 250 casualties and rendered all loading infrastructure and unloading pipelines unusable.
Despite what the Houthi-affiliated petroleum company described as "grievous damage," it claimed to have restored operations within a mere five days. The company asserted that work had resumed despite ongoing US threats and persistent aerial surveillance.
Prior to the airstrikes, the United States had issued stark warnings on April 9th to international actors, cautioning against any dealings with Houthi-controlled ports or the provision of support, labeling such activities as violations of US law.
Adding to the pressure, the US Treasury Department recently implemented new sanctions, including the cancellation of previously granted licenses for fuel imports into Houthi-held territories.
These measures were presented as a response to the group's intensified targeting of international shipping.
The reactivation of the Ras Issa port comes two days after the announcement of a US-Houthi ceasefire agreement. This development unfolds against a backdrop of a critical fuel shortage in Houthi-controlled areas, a situation aggravated by the US military's actions to prevent fuel from being offloaded at the group's ports.
In the four days preceding the ceasefire announcement, US aircraft had reportedly blocked the unloading of 13 fuel vessels at Ras Issa. This involved preventing the use of mobile tanks for offloading, following a series of strikes aimed at enforcing Washington's policy of preventing any fuel imports or exports through Houthi-held ports.