At least 58 people were killed and 126 others injured in US airstrikes on Yemen’s Ras Issa fuel terminal, Houthi officials reported on Friday, marking the deadliest single attack in Washington’s ongoing military campaign against the Iran-aligned rebel group.

According to Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV, the airstrikes caused massive explosions and fires, lighting up the night sky over the port on the Red Sea. The TV station aired footage of blazing infernos and survivors being treated for burns and injuries.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the strikes, stating the objective was to eliminate a critical source of fuel and financial resources for the Houthis, who have been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US government. CENTCOM noted that vessels continued to supply fuel through the Ras Issa port despite the designation.

“This action aims to deprive the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of illegal revenue used to fuel their regional terrorism over the past decade,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The US strikes form part of an intensified military campaign that resumed and escalated under President Donald Trump. The strikes began in January 2024 during Joe Biden’s presidency but have significantly increased in frequency and scale in recent months. The latest attack occurred just a day before scheduled US-Iran nuclear talks in Rome.

The Houthis have launched frequent attacks on Red Sea and Gulf of Aden shipping routes since October 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. These attacks briefly halted during a two-month ceasefire but resumed amid renewed tensions.

The Houthis are a key component of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance,” which also includes Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon—groups that have also faced heavy Israeli military pressure.

In response to the strikes, Iran condemned the US attack as “barbaric,” while Hamas labeled it a “blatant act of aggression.”