HOCC says its ‘safe transit service was a voluntary and cost-free service’
Container ships sail across the Gulf of Suez towards the Red Sea before entering the Suez Canal, in El Ain El Sokhna in Suez, east of Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2018. Picture taken March 17, 2018. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh/File Photo
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 officials in July, although no timeframe for implementation had been decided.
The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) said its “safe transit service was a voluntary and cost-free service”.
“The HOCC categorically confirms that any individual or entity requesting the payment of money in exchange for transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait does not represent the Republic of Yemen or HOCC in any capacity whatsoever,” it said in a statement.
“The HOCC urges shipping companies not to make any payments or provide any information to unauthorized individuals or entities,” it said.
