Reuters: Yemen is weighing transit fees on ships crossing Bab al-Mandab

According to a Reuters report carried on Wednesday 29 July 2026, Yemen's armed forces (the Houthis) are assessing a "transit fee" system for ships crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait, roughly a week after declaring a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia. Sources cited in the report said several models are under review, including different rates according to vessel type and size.

About a week ago Yemen's armed forces said that, in response to the blockade of their country, they would no longer allow Saudi commercial vessels to pass through Bab al-Mandab, and they subsequently struck several Saudi-linked ships.

Bab al-Mandab is one of the main chokepoints for maritime trade between Asia and Europe, and any levy on transits could feed through to freight and marine insurance rates. Iran had earlier said it intends to charge vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz a "service fee", a matter still under discussion with Oman. No official rate or start date has been announced for either scheme.