Daijiworld Media Network - Sanaa
Sanaa, Aug 1: Yemen's Houthi movement has denied reports that it plans to impose fees on ships passing through the Red Sea, insisting that transit through the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains free.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which oversees vessel movement through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, said its "safe transit service" is voluntary and provided without charge.
The HOCC said any individual or organisation demanding payment for passage through the waterway does not represent either Yemen or the agency. It also advised shipping companies not to make payments or share information with unauthorised parties.
The clarification follows a Reuters report published on Wednesday, which cited regional sources as saying the Iran-backed Houthis were considering charging ships transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. According to the report, the proposal was discussed with Iranian officials during a Houthi delegation's visit to Tehran earlier this month, with Iranian advisers reportedly assisting in establishing an authority to regulate the proposed fees.
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serving as a key route for oil and cargo shipments between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Reports of a possible transit fee drew comparisons with Iran's efforts to levy charges on vessels using the Strait of Hormuz, which has experienced significant disruption since the outbreak of the US-Israel conflict with Iran earlier this year.
Yemen's foreign minister-designate, Afrah al-Zouba, had earlier alleged that the Houthis were attempting to replicate the Iranian model.
Analysts say any toll on vessels using the Bab al-Mandeb Strait would particularly affect Saudi Arabia, which has increasingly relied on the route for exports amid continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea in 2023 following the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, suspending attacks only after a ceasefire was announced in October last year. Although a United Nations expert report suggested the group may have collected informal payments from shipping agents in 2024, the claims have not been independently verified.
Shipping traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains below pre-2023 levels.
Amid renewed concerns over maritime security, Saudi Arabia this week announced the formation of a 14-nation maritime coalition to safeguard freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.