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

What the report says

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have rejected claims that they plan to charge vessels for passing through the Red Sea. In a statement reported by Al Jazeera on Saturday, the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains free, and described its “safe transit service” as voluntary. The center also warned shipping companies not to send payments or vessel information to parties it said were unauthorized.

The denial came after a Reuters report earlier in the week said regional sources believed the Houthis were considering fees on ships using the strategic waterway. According to that report, the idea was discussed during a Houthi visit to Tehran, and Iranian advisers were said to have helped shape a possible fee authority. Yemen’s foreign minister-designate, Afrah al-Zouba, also accused the Houthis on Tuesday of trying to follow the Iranian model, as quoted in the article.

Bab al-Mandeb is a key shipping chokepoint linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and any tolls could affect traffic moving between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The article says Saudi Arabia would be especially exposed because it has relied more heavily on the route while the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted. Al Jazeera also noted that the Houthis have previously targeted Red Sea shipping and that traffic through the strait has not fully recovered since 2023.