Houthis Consider Fees on Most Bab el-Mandeb Shipping

Regional sources say Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement is considering charging commercial ships that cross the southern Red Sea. The plan could cover most traffic through Bab el-Mandeb, but no timetable or fee framework has been set. The proposal would extend a pressure campaign that already targets Saudi-linked shipping. Saudi officials raised the same possibility in April, while a source familiar with the movement said it had weighed passage charges during earlier economic pressure.