Now, Houthis Consider Charging Commercial Ships to Transit Red Sea, Reuters Reports

SANAA, July 29: Yemen's Houthis are considering imposing transit fees on commercial ships passing through the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a week after declaring a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, according to regional sources familiar with the matter.

The Iran-aligned group is studying a proposal to charge most vessels using the waterway connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. However, no timeline has been set for its implementation, the sources said. Chinese ships would be exempt under the proposed plan.

Two regional officials briefed by Tehran told Reuters that Iranian officials discussed the proposal with Houthi representatives during meetings held in Iran earlier this month. An Arab official added that Iranian advisers later accompanied Houthi officials to help develop a potential authority to oversee and regulate the collection of transit fees.

If implemented, the move could further raise tensions along one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes, where the ongoing regional conflict has already disrupted shipping.