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Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime coordination body denied Saturday reports that it intended to impose fees on commercial vessels transiting through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, saying no such decision had been reached and that traffic through the strategic waterway continues without charge.
The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, or HOCC, described its safe transit service as voluntary and cost-free.
The statement came two days after a Reuters report citing unnamed sources said the Iran-aligned Houthis were weighing whether or not to impose fees on ships moving through the southern Red Sea, which has already seen a decline in traffic, reaching its lowest levels in months by late July. That discussion followed the group’s declaration of a maritime blockade focused on Saudi Arabia the previous week.
According to the earlier report, the fee proposal had been discussed with Iranian officials during a July visit to Tehran by Houthi representatives. No timeline for implementing the fees was set.
The HOCC denied the reports.
“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.
The center also warned shipping companies of unauthorized parties.
“The HOCC urges shipping companies not to make any payments or provide any information to unauthorized individuals or entities,” the statement added.
The Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has long served as a critical passageway for global commerce and energy shipments.
Vessels transporting oil, container goods, and other cargo regularly pass through the strait on routes connecting Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Disruptions could impact markets, increase insurance costs, and push ships towards longer voyages around Africa.
The HOCC reassured the shipping industry that transit remains at the present time open and free of official charges under its coordination. The group called any demands for payment illegitimate and disconnected from its own operations or from the Houthi authorities in Yemen.
President Donald Trump said July 21 the United States will “take care of business” if the Houthis, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, imposed a blockade of the key strait.
“If something like that happens, we take care of it,” Trump said. “We’ve done that with the Houthis before, and we haven’t heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally.”
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
