The Yemeni Houthi group issued a statement on August 1 denying any plans to charge fees for ships passing through the Red Sea, stating that the waterway will remain free of charge.

The Houthi-operated Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) said in the statement that its "safe transit service" is voluntary and free of charge, adding that anyone demanding payment for passage does not represent Yemen or the coordination center. The statement urged shipping companies not to pay fees or share information with unauthorized parties.

The HOCC also called on anyone asked to pay such fees not to make any payments and, where safe and feasible, to document the incident.

The statement came after Reuters reported on July 29, citing regional sources, that the Houthis were considering imposing fees on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The sources said the idea was raised during a Houthi delegation's visit to Tehran in mid-July, where Iranian officials were reportedly consulted, and that Iranian advisers were assisting in establishing an agency to manage the relevant fee collection. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a vital chokepoint connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, serving as a necessary passage for ships carrying oil and other goods between Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Any transit fees would evoke parallels with Iran's own practice of charging ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Afrah al-Zuba, the designee for foreign minister of Yemen's internationally recognized government, said on July 28 that the Houthis are attempting to "copy the Iranian model."