MERE weeks after US air strikes devastated the port of Ras Isa, the Houthi-controlled gateway appears to have resumed cargo operations despite suffering heavy damage, and as serious security and regulatory risks for vessels calling in the port linger.

Lloyd’s List Intelligence Automatic Identification System data shows that at least four vessels — including two that were berthed at the port at the time of the April 17 air strikes and departed for anchorage shortly thereafter — have berthed at Ras Isa over the past week for periods long enough to indicate they were unloading cargo.

One of the two vessels that left its berth during the attack and recently returned to port, the Guinea-Bissau-flagged LR1 Palm (IMO: 9281425), left Ras Isa on Thursday and recorded a draught change that suggested it successfully discharged cargo. This comes after the Yemeni Petroleum Co stated on May 8 that “maintenance work to rehabilitate the loading platforms” at Ras Isa was completed.

The relatively quick resumption of operations at the Houthis’ key hub for imports of refined products and liquefied petroleum gas was likely possible because the port’s infrastructure and equipment are rudimentary. But that also makes discharging cargo at Ras Isa an exceptionally long process.

Vessels discharging at Ras Isa between January 2024 and April 2025 were berthed for an average of about 11.5 days, an analysis of Lloyd’s List Intelligence AIS data showed. Very large gas carriers capable of carrying 44,000 dwt of LPG were observed spending more than a month at berth. That compares with about two days to discharge in China.

It remains to be seen whether discharges will take even longer following the US airstrikes. Previous airstrikes on the port by Israel in September 2024 and January 2025 did not seem to impact discharge times, although the damage inflicted by those strikes was much smaller than the recent ones by the US, which one Yemeni economist told Saudi media outlet Al-Hadath inflicted a loss estimated at $700m.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the objective of its strikes on Ras Isa was to “eliminate” the Houthi’s source of fuel and “deprive them of illegal revenue”.

The port resumed operations relatively quickly following the surprise announcement of the US-Houthi ceasefire earlier this month. But the April 17 strikes on Ras Isa, which were reportedly followed up with more strikes in early May, were said to have been a turning point  for the Houthis, who reached out to the US allies in the Middle East to facilitate ceasefire talks around the first weekend in May.

The resumption of operations at Ras Isa, however, does not mean that it is business as usual at the port.

The US and Houthis may have agreed to stop attacking each other, but tensions with Israel have escalated, with the Israeli military warning on Monday that it intends to target the Houthis’ three main ports, Ras Isa, Hodeidah and Al Salif.

Reports emerged on Friday evening (Yemen time) that Israel was attacking Hodeidah and Al Salif ports.

The situation is particularly fraught for seafarers in the Houthi-controlled ports. The Yemeni faction is reportedly preventing vessels from leaving the port under threat of violence despite the risk of air strikes, meaning ships and mariners could be hit by air raids targeting port facilities or be fired upon by the Houthis for seeking safety.

According to a casualty report for St Kitts and Nevis-flagged Seven Pearls (IMO: 9343986) that was berthed in Ras Isa during the US air raids on April 17, three Russian seafarers suffered injuries, including one which was seriously injured. The vessel sustained minor damage.

There is also regulatory risk at play. While the US may no longer be bombing the Houthis, Washington insists that the threat of sanctions on tankers and gas carriers unloading at Houthi-controlled ports is very much on.

“The US will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war materiel to a terrorist organisation,” US acting ambassador to the UN Dorothy Shea told the UN Security Council in a briefing on Yemen on Wednesday.

“We remain committed to disrupting the Houthis’ illicit revenue generation, financial facilitators, and suppliers.”

She added: “The US will pursue all possible sanctions against relevant individuals and entities.”

No substantial rise in AIS gaps

The Trump administration in early March revoked a Biden-era general licence that authorised transactions with the Houthis that pertain to discharging of petroleum products and LPG, and imposed an April 4 deadline for vessels to discharge their cargoes at Houthi-controlled ports, provided the cargo was loaded prior to March 5.

Despite the added sanctions risks, most vessels continued delivering cargoes with their AIS on. This persisted after the US designated three vessels and redesignated two more for delivering cargoes to Ras Isa after the April deadline.