Yemen's Houthis deny plans to impose fees on ships sailing through Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi-run maritime coordination body denied on Saturday reports that it planned to impose fees on commercial ships transiting the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying no such decision had been taken and that passage through the strategic waterway remained free.

The statement follows a Reuters report on Wednesday, citing regional sources, that the Iran-aligned Houthis were considering imposing fees on commercial ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, after declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia the previous week. —Reuters