<p >The U.S. Central Command on April 17 issued a statement confirming the “destruction” of the Yemeni port of Ras Isa, although providing no further details on the scale of the attack or on the kinds of assets that were utilised. Footage has since confirmed massive fires at fuel storage facilities. The rationale for attacking the civilian port infrastructure was to undermine the economy of Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition forces, with which U.S. forces have been engaged in hostilities on a significant scale since October 2023. Efforts by the United States and its strategic partners in the Western world and Israel to neutralise the military capabilities of the Ansurullah Coalition have consistently been frustrated, with the Yemeni force continuing to launch missile strikes on Western and Israeli targets and conduct successful shootdowns of high value American drones.&nbsp;</p><p ><img src="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/m/articles/2025/04/18/article_6801b95e514812_78057080.jpeg" title="Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition Forces on Parade"></p><p >Following the defeat of the Syrian state in December 2024, which was a close strategic partner of Yemen’s Ansurullah Coalition, the United States and its partners have focused attentions on Yemen and escalated attacks. Frustrations to efforts to neutralise the Ansurullah Coalition’s fighting strength by attacking military targets has long been expected to fuel a growing interest in striking civilian targets that sustain its war effort. In November 2024 the military capabilities fielded by the Ansurullah Coalition began to gain greater publicity for their exceeding of previous estimates, with Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante&nbsp;<a href="https://militarywatchmagazine.com/article/yemeni-ansurullah-amazing-arsenal-shocked" target="_blank">stating</a> that its arsenal included missiles which “can do things that are just amazing.”” I’m an engineer and a physicist, and I've been around missiles my whole career. What I've seen of what the Houthis [Ansurullah] have done in the last six months is something that — I'm just shocked,” he stated. He reiterated that their arsenal "can do some pretty amazing things," allowing for strikes both against Western ships far into the Red Sea, as well as against targets in Israel.&nbsp;</p>