Yemen accuses Iran, Houthis of planning Red Sea transit fees

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Yemen's information minister, Moammar al-Eryani, said intelligence indicates Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is helping Houthi forces design a technical and administrative framework to collect payments from ships transiting the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. The plan reportedly envisions a dedicated authority to levy transit fees, which Yemen warned would turn a strategic shipping corridor into a funding source for militia operations. The accusations come as the Houthis have announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and claimed attacks on tankers, raising risks of further disruption to Saudi crude exports and global energy flows. The Houthis have not publicly replied to the allegations.

Alleged IRGC-backed fee system threatens Red Sea shipping and oil flows