Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting the Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi movement has denied reports that it plans to charge ships for passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. In a statement issued by the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, the group said transit through the waterway remains free. It said its so-called safe transit service is voluntary and does not require payment.

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The center said any person demanding money for passage does not represent Yemen or the coordination body. It also warned shipping companies not to pay or share information with unauthorised parties. The denial came after a report that the Iran-aligned group was considering fees on vessels using the strait, following a Houthi visit to Tehran in July.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It is used by ships carrying oil and other cargo between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Any move to impose charges there would be closely watched by shipping firms and regional governments because of the route's role in global trade and energy flows.

The latest denial also comes against the backdrop of a wider Houthi campaign against Red Sea shipping that began in 2023. Traffic through the strait has still not returned to pre-2023 levels, according to the supplied material. The row also follows a Houthi declaration of a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia a week before the fee report, adding to concern over the group's intentions in the waterway.

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The reported fee idea was said to have been discussed with Iranian officials during the July visit to Tehran, with Iranian advisers reportedly helping set up an authority to regulate any charges. Yemen's foreign minister-designate, Afrah al-Zouba, said the Houthis were seeking to copy the Iranian model. The supplied material also notes that a United Nations expert report found the group may have collected significant informal fees from shipping agents in 2024, although that was never independently verified.

Saudi Arabia has already responded to the renewed threat by announcing a 14-nation maritime coalition aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb. What remains unclear is whether the fee proposal was ever formally adopted, who would have enforced it, and whether shipping companies will change their behaviour in response to the denial. The situation will be watched for any further Houthi statements, regional security measures, or signs of disruption to traffic through the strait.

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