Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body says it has no plans to charge commercial vessels for sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait. In its latest statement, the body said no such decision had been made and that passage through the key Red Sea waterway remains free.
The clarification came after a media report, citing regional sources, suggested that fees could be introduced for ships using the route. The denial appears aimed at calming concern around one of the world's most closely watched shipping corridors.
According to the Houthi maritime authority, its transit service is still operating as a safe passage arrangement rather than a paid system. The statement stressed that commercial shipping moving through the strait should not expect new charges based on the report.
Bab el-Mandeb is a critical chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, so any suggestion of new shipping fees can quickly draw international attention. For now, the Houthi position is that vessels can continue transiting the area without paying extra charges.
