Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saturday denied seeking to charge ships for passage of the vital Bab al-Mandeb strait.
It came after a minister in Yemen’s internationally recognised government claimed they were doing so.
The Houthi-aligned Saba news agency published a statement from the group’s HOCC agency which denied the accuracy of the reports.
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“The HOCC further emphasises that transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is free of charge,” the Houthi-backed administrative agency said.
On Wednesday, Yemen’s information minister Moammar al-Eryani accused the group of trying to imitate Iran’s efforts to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz, on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula.
With Iran’s closure of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandeb has gained increased importance as a transit route for Saudi oil. The narrow waterway connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and, via the Suez Canal, the Mediterranean.
Last month, the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude, sending renewed tremors through oil markets.
The group has since claimed several attacks on oil tankers and infrastructure.
