Yemen's Houthis Deny Plans To Impose Fees On Ships Sailing Through Red Sea

Aug 1 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime coordination body denied on Saturday 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 ships sailing through the southern Red Sea, a week after declaring a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. 

The sources in the Reuters report had said the proposal on fees was discussed with Iranian officials during a visit to Tehran by Houthi