Targeting Civilian Sites: A Testament to American Frustration
Since mid-March, the pattern of American airstrikes on Yemen has revealed a brutal and inhumane nature to U.S. aggression. Every target struck has been civilian, directly tied to the livelihoods of the Yemeni people. By its accepted logic, war should focus on military targets to weaken an enemy’s capabilities. Yet, the United States has consistently built its target banks around civilian infrastructure, revealing its fundamentally unethical conduct, approaching warfare as if governed by the law of the jungle.
The Map of Civilian Infrastructure
The map of American airstrikes shows a clear intent to inflict the maximum possible damage on the Yemeni people, aiming to pressure them into submission. In doing so, Washington blatantly disregards the ethics of war and the internationally recognized principles that criminalize such inhumane conduct.
Though America may succeed in destroying civilian sites, its global image is increasingly that of a rogue entity, devoid of values, commitments, or even basic humanity. Since prehistoric times, human communities have developed rules to regulate relations among themselves and with nature, recognizing coexistence as essential. The United States, however, shows no such affiliation with the human community. Its criminal behavior is unbound by any limits, fueled by hatred for anything non-American, even those foolish enough to claim its friendship.
Venting Frustration Through Brutality
In recent weeks, the White House has unleashed unlawful and unjustified aggression on Yemen, defying international law and even its own legislative institutions. The focus of this assault has been on civilian infrastructure. On Thursday, this hatred peaked when the U.S. bombed Ras Issa Port, killing and injuring over 200 people without sparking any global conscience or condemnation.
By destroying civilian targets, the United States appears to be venting deep frustration. Accepting defeat, it seems, is merely a matter of pride for Washington, despite mounting signs of failure as Yemeni armed forces strike back with painful retaliatory operations. These responses, led by confidence and capability, have proven effective in confronting and wounding the enemy.
Historically, the U.S. has responded to military setbacks by intensifying attacks on civilians, and its actions in Yemen today provide a textbook example of such behavior, driven by rage and defeat.
A War Crime and Contempt for International Law
Since the onset of the Saudi-led coalition’s war on Yemen, planned and overseen by the U.S., civilian infrastructure has borne the brunt of the strikes. Fragile systems have been destroyed: water stations, power generators, telecommunications networks, agricultural lands, food facilities, and more. Repeated strikes on populated areas have killed or maimed tens of thousands of innocent civilians—mostly women, children, and the elderly. The United Nations itself has acknowledged that Yemen faces the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
This targeting of civilians has become routine for the U.S. in regions that reject its dominance or interference. The same pattern repeats today with deliberate attacks on homes, communication networks, water tanks, and educational and economic facilities.
On Sunday evening, the American military committed a horrific massacre in the Furwah Market and neighborhood in Shu’ub District, the capital of Sana’a. Twelve civilians were killed and 30 wounded, raising the toll to 46 martyrs and injured.
And on Thursday, at the oil port of Ras Issa—which supplies more than 65% of Yemen’s domestic needs—American forces committed a shameful massacre. More than 80 people were killed and 171 were injured. This act alone is enough to disgrace the U.S. military, often touted as the world’s strongest.
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor stated that the U.S. attack on Ras Issa Port represents an illegal use of force that warrants an immediate investigation and accountability. “The nature of the target and the high civilian death toll raise serious suspicions of a war crime under international law,” the Monitor declared.
U.S. aircraft even bombed rescue crews and survivors at the port—an act that indisputably qualifies as a war crime by every standard of international law.
The U.S. attempted to justify the attack by claiming the port had military utility. But this argument only demonstrated Washington’s disdain for international norms. Even if the port had some military connection, it would still be a violation of Yemeni sovereignty. America’s aggression is a blatant and unlawful act aimed at protecting a criminal entity.
This crime, like countless others, lays bare the depth of American hatred toward the Yemeni people, evident in the eight-year-long Saudi-led war waged under U.S. direction.
The Yemeni Legal Position That Provoked America
With the onset of Zionist aggression on Gaza—mirroring American methods of destruction and chaos—the aim has been to make Gaza uninhabitable. Israeli missiles and American-made bombs have targeted every aspect of life there, revealing the shared Zionist mindset in dealing with all Arabs and Muslims.
Throughout this carnage, organizations that claim to monitor humanitarian law violations have gone silent. The UN has hidden behind hollow statements, and the Security Council issues toothless condemnations that never even hint at criticizing the Zionist entity. Arab governments, meanwhile, remain muzzled, their autonomy crushed under American control.
Amid this humiliation and oppression, it was natural and justified for Yemen to reject this imperial arrogance and stand with the oppressed Palestinian people. Yemen’s military actions were preceded by clear warnings that the Palestinians would not be left alone. America, in response, escalated its aggression, pursuing its dual agenda of maintaining regional dominance and protecting the Zionist project.
And while America may succeed in silencing international institutions through veto power, it cannot silence Yemen’s stand, rooted in Quranic principles. As Sayyid Abdul-malik al-Houthi said, “America’s veto cannot override the Holy Quran.”
The Crime of Aggression and the Crime of Defending Genocide
Regardless of political stances, Yemen’s support for Gaza does not justify America’s barbaric assaults on innocent civilians or its vengeful targeting of public infrastructure. International humanitarian law forbids attacking even potentially civilian targets during conflict. America’s crime is twofold: not only is it an unprovoked aggressor, but it also does so in defense of the Israeli aggression in Gaza.
Experts and observers agree that U.S. attacks on civilian infrastructure are part of a strategy to economically cripple the Yemeni people. This includes strikes on national economic assets like a ceramic factory in Bani Matar and a cotton gin in Zabid. American administrations view such attacks as effective tools for worsening living conditions and pressuring the population.
Yet the resilience of the Yemeni people has shocked the U.S. government. Yemen has managed to contain the consequences and adapt intelligently to American provocations. One example is the fuel crisis, which the U.S. has repeatedly tried to manufacture through attacks like the one on Ras Issa. However, the Yemeni government had already secured a sufficient fuel reserve, ensuring continued supply. What remains of these cowardly attacks is only disgrace—a permanent stain on America’s record.
Enduring Evidence of American Savagery
Since 2015, the destruction of Yemen’s infrastructure has served as undeniable proof of the savagery embedded in the mindset of U.S. leadership. It also highlights America’s true weakness, a reality Yemenis have observed with clarity. In the Red Sea and even within the Israeli entity, the myth of American power has been shattered.
Washington’s growing fear is not of rockets, but of the Yemeni idol spreading to other nations. Such a scenario would expose America’s fragility and trigger the countdown to the end of its global dominance. This is what Washington and the Zionists truly fear, because they hide behind America’s fading aura to advance their hostile agenda against the region.