Yemen's Houthi-controlled maritime authority denied Saturday that it plans to impose mandatory toll fees on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, contradicting earlier reports suggesting the Iranian-backed militant group would levy charges on vessels transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait.
The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, run by the Houthis, issued a statement claiming its safe-passage service remains voluntary. Ships can continue navigating the waterway without payment, the authority insisted, though the group did not clarify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance.
The denial comes weeks after the Houthis intensified attacks on cargo vessels in the Red Sea, citing support for Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza conflict. The group has seized ships, launched drone and missile strikes, and forced global shipping to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope, disrupting one of the world's most critical trade corridors.
Oil prices and shipping insurance rates spiked in response to Houthi operations. Roughly 12 percent of global maritime trade normally flows through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a 15-mile chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal. The rerouting has added weeks to journeys and billions in costs to the global supply chain.
Reports suggested the Houthis were exploring toll collection as a revenue mechanism while maintaining their political posture against Israel and Western interests. The group, formally known as Ansar Allah, receives funding and military support from Iran and maintains significant territorial control in northern Yemen following a yearslong civil war.
The Houthis' latest statement attempts to rebrand their operations as a protective service rather than piracy, a distinction that carries legal and diplomatic weight. However, shipping insurers and maritime authorities remain skeptical of voluntary compliance claims given the group's pattern of attacks on non-compliant vessels.