Yemen says IRGC helping Houthi Red Sea fee plan

Yemen's internationally recognised government accused Houthi rebels on Wednesday of working under Iranian guidance to establish a system to charge ships transiting the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Information minister Moammar al-Eryani told AFP that recently obtained intelligence indicated Iran's Revolutionary Guards were helping manage the alleged effort. He said IRGC experts and advisers were directly involved in designing the technical and administrative framework, including a dedicated entity to collect payments from shipping companies and commercial vessels.

Eryani described the alleged move as "a dangerous escalation" aimed at turning one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the group's military and terrorist activities.

The accusation adds to tensions after the Houthis last week announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and later claimed attacks targeting Saudi tankers and oil infrastructure.

The Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab route has become critical for moving Saudi crude to international markets after energy exports were largely choked off by fighting in the Strait of Hormuz. The Houthi blockade has threatened Saudi Arabia's ability to export millions of barrels of crude a day, cutting off the kingdom's only other maritime route following Iran's parallel blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Yemen's internationally recognised government has said it is concerned that the Houthis are seeking to copy Iran's actions in the Strait of Hormuz by monetising access to the Bab al-Mandab Strait.