Yemen government accuses Houthis of planning Red Sea transit fee system under Iranian guidance
Yemen's government has accused the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of working with Tehran to establish a system for charging fees to commercial vessels transiting the Red
Yemen's government has accused the Iran-backed Houthi rebels of working with Tehran to establish a system for charging fees to commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, describing the alleged plan as a major threat to global shipping and energy markets. Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said on Wednesday (July 29) that recently obtained intelligence indicated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was helping the Houthis create a technical and administrative framework to collect payments from shipping companies using one of the world's busiest maritime corridors. "The intelligence indicates that IRGC experts and advisers are directly involved in designing the technical and administrative framework of the project," AFP quoted al-Eryani as saying. He reportedly alleged the plan included establishing a dedicated authority responsible for collecting transit payments from commercial vessels, warning that the initiative would transform a key international shipping route into a permanent source of funding for the Houthis' military operations.
Al-Eryani described the alleged move as "a dangerous escalation aimed at transforming one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia's military and terrorist activities." Blockade raises oil supply concerns The accusations come amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea, where the Houthis last week announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and have since claimed attacks targeting Saudi oil tankers and energy infrastructure. The Bab al-Mandab Strait has become increasingly critical for global energy supplies after conflict-related disruptions significantly curtailed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow waterway serves as a vital route for Saudi Arabia to export crude oil to international markets. The Houthi blockade has already threatened Saudi Arabia's ability to export millions of barrels of crude oil per day, potentially restricting the kingdom's only major alternative maritime export route as tensions continue to affect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran discussed fee proposal with Houthis Reuters reported that senior Houthi officials travelled to Iran in July to attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, where Iranian officials discussed the possibility of introducing transit charges for ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb. According to two regional officials briefed by Tehran, the objectives of the proposal are to normalise the practice of charging fees for using international waterways and to increase pressure on the United States. The sources added that Chinese vessels would be exempt from the proposed charges and that the Houthis support such an arrangement. China, the world's largest importer of Saudi crude oil, has previously held direct talks with the Houthis to allow its tankers to transit the southern Red Sea without being targeted, Reuters reported, citing sources. Also Read | Iran threatens to block ships in Hormuz over Trump's plan to use frozen assets Iranian advisers reportedly assisting Reuters cited an Arab official as saying that Houthi officials returning from Tehran were accompanied by Iranian advisers tasked with helping establish an authority that would regulate and collect transit fees through the Bab el-Mandeb.
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