Yemen’s Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi movement has publicly rejected claims that it intends to levy charges on vessels transiting the Red Sea. The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which manages vessel movement through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, issued a statement asserting that its "safe transit service" operates on a voluntary, cost-free basis. The statement cautioned shipping companies against making payments to unauthorised parties claiming to represent the HOCC or Yemen.

The denial follows a Reuters report citing regional sources, which suggested that the Iran-aligned Houthis were contemplating fee structures for ships passing through the strait. According to those sources, the proposal was discussed during a Houthi delegation visit to Tehran in July, with Iranian advisers reportedly assisting in establishing a regulatory authority for fee collection. Such a development would parallel Iran's own approach to charging vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which has experienced significant disruption since the commencement of the US-Israel military campaign against Iran earlier this year.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait represents a critical maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, facilitating cargo and oil transport between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Yemen's foreign minister-designate, Afrah al-Zouba, characterised the Houthi proposal as an attempt to "copy the Iranian model." Such fees would disproportionately affect Saudi Arabia, which has increasingly utilised the strait as an alternative export route following disruptions at Hormuz.

The Houthis have maintained a sustained campaign against Red Sea shipping since 2023, initiated following the outbreak of Israel's military operations in Gaza. This campaign paused following a ceasefire agreement last October. A United Nations expert report indicated that the group may have collected substantial informal fees from shipping agents during 2024, though this assessment was never independently verified. Shipping traffic through the strait has not yet returned to pre-2023 levels. In response to renewed threats, Saudi Arabia announced a 14-nation maritime coalition this week aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.