Yemen's Houthis deny plans to impose tolls in Red Sea

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.

Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Editing by Tom Hogue/Reuters