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Houthis Consider Fees for Ships in the Red Sea · GNN Daily Breaking News

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  Speaker 1: Yemen's who Tea rebels are weighing a dramatic new step
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  Speaker 1: in their confrontation with Saudi Arabia and its allies, imposing
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  Speaker 1: fees on commercial ships sailing through the bab El Mandeb Strait,
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  Speaker 1: one of the world's most critical maritime choke points. According
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  Speaker 1: to sources familiar with the discussions, the Huthis began exploring
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  Speaker 1: the idea earlier this month during a delegation's trip to
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  Speaker 1: Iran for Iyatola Kamene's funeral. Iranian advisors are said to
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  Speaker 1: be guiding the group on how to establish an authority
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  Speaker 1: to regulate and collect the charges. The plan would apply
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  Speaker 1: to most vessels transiting the Southern Red Sea, though Chinese
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  Speaker 1: ships would be exempt, reflecting Beijing's direct talks with the
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  Speaker 1: Huthis to secure safe passage for its oil tankers. The
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  Speaker 1: timing is significant. Just days ago, the Huthis declared a
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  Speaker 1: naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, expanding their attacks on tankers
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  Speaker 1: beyond the Gulf. Now, by monetizing Red Sea transit, they
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  Speaker 1: aim to normalize fees on international waterways while increasing pressure
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  Speaker 1: on both Washington and Riad. The potential impact is enormous.
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  Speaker 1: The bab El Mandeb straight handles millions of barrels of
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  Speaker 1: oil and gas daily, linking Europe and Asia through the
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  Speaker 1: Suez Canal. Any disruption, whether through attacks or new fees,
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  Speaker 1: could spike global energy prices and destabilize shipping routes. Gulf
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  Speaker 1: states and European governments have already voiced strong opposition, but
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  Speaker 1: overstretched naval forces may struggle to guarantee protection across such
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  Speaker 1: a vast corridor. For Iran, the move deepens its partnership
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  Speaker 1: with the Huthis, extending influence over one of the world's
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  Speaker 1: busiest trade arteries. For China, the exemption underscores its growing
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  Speaker 1: role as a power broker in the region, securing its
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  Speaker 1: own interests while leaving Western allies exposed. Ultimately, if implemented,
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  Speaker 1: this would mark the first time a non state actor
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  Speaker 1: attempts to monetize access to a vital international waterway. It
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  Speaker 1: would set a precedent with far reaching consequences, raising costs
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  Speaker 1: for global shipping and further militarizing the Red Sea