Houthis consider introducing transit fees for ships in Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemen’s Houthi movement, known as Ansarullah, is reportedly considering the introduction of fees for vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The move comes amid wider regional discussions following reports that Iran has begun depositing transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz into its central bank, a development that has raised concerns in Western media over potential ripple effects on global shipping routes, Al Akhbar reports.

According to maritime analysis cited by international outlets, any similar approach by Yemen’s Ansarullah could signal a shift from military leverage to a sustained geo-economic strategy in the Red Sea corridor.

At the same time, security-focused assessments describe the idea as a potential trigger for a new layer of economic and maritime escalation, adding complexity to already fragile shipping dynamics in the region.

Within Yemen, supporters of the proposal argue that the strait falls under national jurisdiction based on maritime law interpretations, reinforcing claims that it constitutes an internal passage rather than an international transit zone.

By Jeyhun Aghazada