Group insists passage through Bab al-Mandeb remains free and voluntary, rejecting reports of proposed fees after declaring blockade on Saudi shipping.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has denied any intention to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, stating that passage through the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains free of charge and that its “safe transit service” is voluntary.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which oversees vessel movements through the strait, rejected reports that the group was considering levying charges on shipping. “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,” the statement said.
It urged shipping companies not to make payments or provide information to unauthorised parties, describing its coordination service as voluntary and cost-free.
Houthis Deny Plans to Charge Red Sea Shipping Fees:
The denial follows a Reuters report published on Wednesday that cited regional sources saying the Iran-aligned Houthis were considering imposing fees on most commercial traffic through the southern Red Sea. According to those sources, the idea was discussed with Iranian officials during a Houthi visit to Tehran in July, and Iranian advisers were reportedly assisting in setting up an authority to regulate any such fees. No implementation timeline was mentioned.
The reports emerged a week after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabian shipping. The group has framed its Red Sea operations as limited to enforcing that ban, while maintaining that other international navigation remains open and safe.
A senior Houthi political official, Hizam al-Assad, had earlier stated that the Bab al-Mandeb “is open to international navigation safely and securely, except for Saudi shipping,” and that the ban would continue until what the group describes as the blockade of Yemen is lifted.
Houthis Reject Claims of Bab al-Mandeb Transit Fees:
The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serving as a key route for oil, liquefied natural gas and container traffic between Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Disruptions in the waterway have repeatedly forced vessels to divert around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, adding significant time and cost to global shipping.
The Houthis have conducted repeated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since late 2023, initially in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and later linked to broader regional tensions. Insurance premiums for vessels using the route have risen sharply at various points, and some operators have avoided the area altogether.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government has accused the Houthis of seeking to monetise control over the strait. Afrah al-Zouba, foreign minister-designate in the recognised government, told Reuters that the group “will try to gain access over the Red Sea and they will try to charge ships if they do.” Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani separately claimed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps experts were involved in designing a framework for collecting payments.
Western diplomats have noted that any attempt to formalise fees would likely face strong opposition from Gulf and European states, though international naval protection for merchant shipping remains stretched.
For now, the Houthi statement seeks to close the matter, insisting that no decision on fees has been taken and that legitimate transit through the Bab al-Mandeb continues without charge. Shipping companies, however, are left navigating an environment of uncertainty, where statements from the group controlling key coastal areas along the strait carry significant weight for commercial decisions.