Houthis Deny Red Sea Transit Fee Plan

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement said its maritime coordination body had taken no decision to impose fees on commercial ships crossing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The body said passage through the strategic Red Sea gateway remains free. The denial followed a Wednesday report that the Houthis were considering charges after declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia the previous week. It reverses the proposal's reported status but does not rescind the group's separate blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping, which has increased pressure on a route central to global trade.