Yemen’s Houthis Deny Plans To Impose Fees On Ships Transiting Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime coordination body has denied reports that it planned to impose fees on commercial ships using the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, saying the strategic waterway remains free for transit.

The statement from the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) came after a Reuters report that the Iran-aligned group was considering introducing charges for ships sailing through the southern Red Sea.

The report had cited regional sources and came a week after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.

The HOCC said its “safe transit service” was voluntary and did not involve any payment from shipping companies.

“The HOCC categorically confirms that any individual or entity requesting the payment of money in exchange for transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait does not represent the Republic of Yemen or HOCC in any capacity whatsoever,” it said in a statement.

The organisation also advised shipping companies not to make payments or share information with unauthorised individuals or groups.

The denial followed reports that a possible fee system had been discussed during a visit by Houthi officials to Tehran in July.

According to the sources cited in the Reuters report, the proposal was discussed with Iranian officials, but no timeline for introducing such fees had been decided.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. It is used by ships carrying oil, other energy products and cargo between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

Any changes to vessel transit arrangements in the strait could affect shipping companies operating in the region because of its importance to global trade and energy movements.

The waterway has already seen reduced traffic since Houthi attacks on commercial vessels began in 2023 following the start of the Israel-Gaza war.

The Houthis paused attacks after a ceasefire last October, but shipping activity through the Bab el-Mandeb has not returned to levels seen before 2023.

A United Nations expert report said the group may have collected significant informal fees from shipping agents in 2024, although the claim has not been independently verified.

Yemen’s foreign minister-designate Afrah al-Zouba said on Tuesday that the Houthis were seeking to “copy the Iranian model”, referring to Iran’s efforts to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The possibility of fees being introduced in the Bab el-Mandeb has drawn attention because Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the route as an alternative export pathway while disruptions continue around the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi Arabia this week announced a 14-nation maritime coalition aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

References: Reuters, Al Jazeera