Houthis deny plans to charge ships for Red Sea passage

Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body on Saturday denied reports that it planned to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying no such decision had been taken and that passage through the strategic waterway remained free.gmanetwork

The denial came in response to a Reuters report published on July 29, citing regional sources, that the Iran-aligned group was considering imposing tolls on most traffic through the narrow strait linking the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The sources said no timeframe had been given for implementation, but that the objectives would be to normalize the practice of charging vessels for passage through international waterways and increase pressure on the United States.reuters+1

Fee Discussions Linked to Iran Visit

According to sources cited by Reuters Thomson Reuters Corporation ↘ 0.71%, Houthi representatives discussed the possibility of introducing transit fees during a July visit to Iran for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian advisers were also reportedly involved in discussions on establishing a potential authority to regulate fees through the waterway.safety4sea

Chinese vessels would reportedly be exempt from any such fees, following talks between Beijing and the Houthis aimed at allowing Chinese tankers to continue sailing through the Red Sea without being targeted. The Houthis declared a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia on July 20, opening a new front against the U.S. and its allies and expanding attacks on tankers to waters beyond the Gulf.timesofisrael+2

Saudi Arabia Responds With Maritime Coalition

As tensions over Red Sea shipping escalate, Saudi Arabia on Thursday unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition. The Saudi defense ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting in Riyadh, with 14 countries — including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Djibouti, and Sudan — issuing a joint statement supporting the proposed alliance.reuters

Reuters reported that the coalition would strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, and protect international trade routes and energy supply lines in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. Notably, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed among the countries backing the statement.reuters

Red Sea traffic has not fully recovered since Houthi attacks on merchant ships began in November 2023. A 2024 UN Panel of Experts report cited allegations that the group may have collected up to $180 million per month from payments by some shipping agencies for safe passage, though the figures could not be independently verified.safety4sea