Houthis consider imposing fees for Red Sea passage: Report

Yemen's Houthis could be looking to impose fees on maritime traffic coming through the Bab el-Mandeb gateway, the Reuters news agency reported on Wednesday, citing regional sources. Saudi Arabia has utilised Bab el-Mandeb as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has blocked for US-allied vessels since March, following the launch of the US-Israeli war on Iran on 28 February. And last week, the Houthis attacked a Saudi tanker off the southern Saudi port of Jizan. While no timeline has been set for imposing the fees, it would ramp up pressure on the Trump administration to wind down its war on Iran, Reuters said. Read more: Houthis consider imposing fees for Red Sea passage: Report A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea, on 27 July 2026 (Khaled Ziad/AFP)