Reports last week indicated that the Houthi planned to levy on a toll of ships passing the waterway that links the Arabian and Red Sea in return for guaranteeing security, similar to that Iran is trying to implement in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthi have launched what it describes as a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports targeting vessels that have called in the Kingdom in response to a recent attack on the airport in Sana’a.

Since launching the blockade the Houthi have attacked Saudi tankers headed to the Bab el-Mandeb.   The Houthi’s Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) stated: “The HOCC categorically denies the accuracy of these claims and confirms that it has neither taken nor considered any decision to impose fees for transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The HOCC further emphasizes that transit through the Bab al-Mandab Strait is free of charge.”  It said that any individual or entity requesting the payment of money in exchange for transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait does not represent the Republic of Yemen or HOCC.

With the introduction of the Saudi blockade the Houthi are offering what it calls a “Safe Transit Service” for vessels where it says they will confirm safe transit of Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea with a response provided “within a few hours” to email requests.