The Houthis are reportedly considering charging commercial vessels to transit the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. If introduced, the plan would add new costs and uncertainty for shipping in the Red Sea.
Reuters, citing regional officials, reported that the Iran-backed group is discussing transit fees for most vessels using the strategic waterway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have not publicly confirmed the proposal or announced when it could take effect.
The reported plan comes less than two weeks after the Houthis announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi ports and stepped up attacks on Saudi-linked shipping. The group has since claimed missile strikes on MV NCC Ghazal, MV NCC Masa and MV Encelia.
According to Reuters, Houthi officials discussed the proposal during a July visit to Iran. Regional sources said Iranian advisers later travelled to Yemen to help establish an authority that could manage the fee system. The sources also claimed that Chinese-operated vessels could receive exemptions, reflecting Beijing’s interest in protecting tanker traffic carrying Saudi crude.
The Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Since late 2023, repeated attacks on merchant ships have forced many operators to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing voyage times, fuel consumption and freight costs.
Any attempt to charge transit fees would likely face legal and diplomatic opposition. Yemen’s internationally recognised government accused the Houthis of trying to profit from controlling an international waterway. Western diplomats told Reuters that Gulf and European countries would strongly oppose such a system. However, they also acknowledged that naval forces cannot protect every merchant vessel transiting the area.
