Top News

Yemen's internationally recognised 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.

Yemen Cites Intelligence Inputs

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said on Wednesday (July 29) that recently obtained intelligence suggested Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was assisting the Houthis in creating 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 alleged that the proposal includes establishing a dedicated authority responsible for collecting transit payments from commercial vessels.

Al-Eryani warned that the initiative would turn a key international shipping route into a permanent source of funding for the Houthis' military operations.

He described the alleged plan 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 Fresh Oil Supply Concerns

The allegations come amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea after the Houthis last week announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and later claimed attacks targeting Saudi oil tankers and energy infrastructure.

The Bab al-Mandab Strait has become increasingly important for global energy supplies after conflict-related disruptions significantly reduced shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway serves as a crucial route for Saudi Arabia to export crude oil to international markets.

According to the report, 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 through the Strait of Hormuz.

Reuters: Iran Discussed Transit Fee Proposal

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 introducing transit charges for ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

According to two regional officials briefed by Tehran, the proposal aims to normalise the practice of charging fees for using international waterways while increasing 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.

Reuters also reported that China, the world's largest importer of Saudi crude oil, has previously held direct talks with the Houthis to ensure its tankers could transit the southern Red Sea without being targeted.

Iranian Advisers Allegedly 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 to regulate and collect transit fees through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

"The Houthis will try to gain access over the Red Sea and they will try to charge ships if they do," Afrah al-Zouba, the foreign minister-designate in Yemen's internationally recognised government, told Reuters.

Western diplomats quoted by Reuters said any attempt by the Houthis to impose such charges would likely face strong opposition from Gulf and European countries.

However, they noted that international naval forces remain overstretched and there is limited political appetite for a broader military response to safeguard merchant shipping.

Houthis Yet To Respond

The Houthis have not publicly responded to the Yemeni government's allegations regarding the proposed transit fee system or the claimed involvement of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.