Houthi considers imposing tolls on ships in the Bab al-Mandab

The Minister of Information in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Muamar al-Iryani, accused the Houthis of collaborating with Iran to impose fees on ships in the Red Sea and the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait.

Al-Iryani stated that this assessment was based on “recently obtained, confirmed intelligence indicating that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is assisting in managing a move that could represent a new attempt to expand the influence of the Houthi Ansar Allah group over one of the world’s strategic trade corridors.”

According to available information, the idea is still under study and has not yet been formalized into an announced decision or a clear legal framework. However, it coincides with similar Iranian moves to assert Tehran’s dominance over the Strait of Hormuz and to collect tolls for ships transiting the waterway linking the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.

If implemented, the move by the Yemeni group controlling Sana’a would carry implications beyond the direct financial dimension, potentially increasing shipping and insurance costs and adding a new layer of uncertainty to navigation in the Red Sea.