By Staff, Reuters

According to a Reuters report, Yemen’s Ansarullah movement is considering imposing transit fees on commercial vessels passing through the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime passage connecting the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The reported discussions come about a week after the group announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, expanding its naval operations beyond previous attacks on shipping in the region.

Regional sources familiar with the matter told Reuters that Ansarullah is examining a system that could require most commercial ships using the waterway to pay transit fees, although no timeline for implementing such a policy has been disclosed. The group’s media office did not comment on the report.

Reuters also cited regional officials who said Ansarullah representatives visited Iran in July, where Iranian officials reportedly discussed the possibility of establishing a mechanism to regulate shipping fees through the Bab El-Mandeb. The sources said the proposal aims to normalize the practice of charging transit fees on international waterways while increasing pressure on the United States. They also said that Chinese vessels could be exempt from any future fees.

According to Reuters, Iranian advisers later accompanied Ansarullah officials back to Yemen to assist with planning a potential authority responsible for overseeing the proposed fee system.

Officials from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government criticized the reported plan, arguing that Ansarullah is seeking greater control over Red Sea shipping. Reuters also reported that Western diplomats expect any attempt to impose transit fees would face opposition from Gulf and European countries, though they acknowledged the challenges international naval forces face in protecting commercial shipping throughout the region.

The report further noted that Iran has rejected an Omani proposal for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz that included voluntary transit fees, a development Reuters said has complicated efforts to ease disruptions to Gulf maritime trade.

Reuters added that any prolonged disruption at the Bab El-Mandeb could increase pressure on Saudi Arabia’s energy exports by limiting an important alternative shipping route to the Strait of Hormuz.

The report also recalled that commercial shipping through the Red Sea has yet to fully recover following Ansarullah’s maritime campaign, which the group said was carried out in support of Palestinians during the Gaza conflict. Reuters further cited a 2024 UN Panel of Experts report sauing that shipping agencies may previously have paid fees in exchange for safe passage, although the UN panel stated it was unable to independently verify those claims.