Houthis deny plan to charge ships transiting Red Sea, reiterate free passage

What happened

Al Jazeera Yemen reports that Yemen’s Houthi rebels issued a statement through their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) denying plans to charge ships transiting the Red Sea. The HOCC emphasized that its ‘safe transit service’ through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains voluntary and free, warning against unauthorized parties demanding payments or collecting information from shipping companies.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. This denial follows a Reuters report citing regional sources claiming that the Iran-aligned Houthis had considered imposing fees on vessels passing through the strait. According to those sources, the proposal emerged during a Houthi delegation visit to Tehran in July, with Iranian advisers reportedly supporting the establishment of an authority to regulate such fees. These claims remain unconfirmed in independent reporting.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait is a vital maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and key international shipping routes between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Any toll on passage would resemble Iran’s attempts to charge for transits of the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely closed due to ongoing conflict involving the US and Israel. Yemen’s foreign minister-designate reportedly said the Houthis seek to ‘copy the Iranian model,’ though this is an attributed statement.

Known from the source

• The Houthi Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) stated the Red Sea route remains free and their safe transit service is voluntary and free of charge.
• Reuters reported, citing unnamed regional sources, that the Houthis were considering charging fees on ships passing Bab al-Mandeb, linked to a July visit to Tehran with reported Iranian adviser involvement.
• Yemen’s foreign minister-designate Afrah al-Zouba said the Houthis seek to imitate Iran’s model of charging passage fees (attributed claim).
• The Bab al-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is critical for global shipping, particularly for oil routes.
• Houthis have conducted attacks against Red Sea shipping since 2023, with a ceasefire in October 2025 pausing these actions.

What remains unclear

Since 2023, the Houthis have targeted Red Sea shipping, worsening regional insecurity until a ceasefire in October. UN experts suggested the group may have collected informal fees from shipping agents in 2024, but this lacks independent confirmation. Maritime traffic through Bab al-Mandeb has not returned to pre-2023 levels. Saudi Arabia has responded by announcing a 14-nation maritime coalition earlier this week to secure the strait and surrounding waters.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify no recent official Houthi announcements contradicting the denial of fee imposition. Confirm independent verification or denial of Reuters’ report about Iranian involvement and fee regulation plans. Check if Yemen’s foreign minister-designate’s statement on ‘copying the Iranian model’ is officially confirmed and current.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Yemen. Open the source.