Yemen's Houthis deny plans to impose fees on ships sailing through Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi-run maritime body has denied plans to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, stating passage remains free.

​Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body ​denied on Saturday ‌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.

The statement follows a Reuters report on Wednesday, ‌citing regional sources, that the Iran-aligned Houthis were considering imposing fees ‌on ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, a week after declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. The sources in the Reuters report ⁠had ​said the proposal ⁠on fees was discussed with Iranian officials during a visit to Tehran by ⁠Houthi officials in July, although no timeframe for implementation had been decided.

The ​Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) said its "safe transit service ⁠was a voluntary and cost-free service". "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 in a statement.

"The ⁠HOCC ⁠urges shipping companies not to make any payments or provide any information to unauthorized individuals or entities," ‌it ‌said.