TEHRAN – American warplanes raid the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, killing scores of civilians.

U.S. fighter jets launched airstrikes on Hodeidah’s Ras Isa oil port, followed by a second wave of attacks that struck as emergency crews battled fires and recovered victims.

A preliminary report from the Health Office in Hodeidah governorate said at least 58 civilians, including truck drivers, workers, and paramedics, were killed, while at least 126 others were injured in the strikes on the port in northwest Yemen.

It added that a second wave of airstrikes killed emergency workers who were attending to the casualties from the initial attack. 

In response, the Sanaa government reaffirmed “Yemen’s legal right to defend itself” and held the U.S. administration fully responsible for the consequences of its military escalation in the Red Sea.

The government said its support operations for Gaza would continue, stating they have been “100% successful in preventing Israeli vessels from navigating the Red Sea.”

It also denounced U.S. statements justifying the attack, calling them “false and misleading”. The Sanaa government said the strikes proved once again that “the American enemy deliberately targets civilian areas and vital national infrastructure.”

Officials in Sanaa labeled the bombing of Ras Isa “a full-fledged war crime” and warned that it would not go unpunished.

Shortly after the attack, missile sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and parts of central Israeli regions amid warnings of an incoming projectile from Yemen.

Also in the aftermath, large rallies took place across several Yemeni governorates on Friday afternoon in support of Gaza, under the slogan “Steadfast with Gaza in the face of U.S.-Israeli escalation.”

On Thursday night, Ansarallah leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said, “Our people, despite their suffering, have not clung to weak excuses or shallow justifications. Instead, they’ve risen to fulfill their duty of faith and resistance, enraging both the American and Israeli enemies.”

In a televised speech, Sayyed al-Houthi highlighted “Yemen’s front is strong, inspiring, and stands as a powerful example for others to follow.”

Speaking on the impact of Yemeni operations, he pointed to “clear results acknowledged even by American and Israeli officials.”

Addressing the U.S. directly, Sayyed al-Houthi declared, “Your attacks only make us stronger, sharpen our military capabilities, and increase our effectiveness.”

Experts believe the strikes on Hodeidah’s oil facilities were aimed at shifting media focus toward the huge fires, but say they are unlikely to weaken Yemen’s ability to maintain its military support front in solidarity with Gaza.

Other analysts noted that this isn’t the first time U.S. and Israeli forces have targeted Hodeidah’s oil infrastructure, an apparent attempt to project strength amid growing frustration over their inability to stop Yemen’s operations.