Shippers wishing to cross Bab al-Mandab email Houthis for permits, sign up for alerts - report

Shippers transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait are emailing the Iran-backed Houthi terror group for safe passage permits, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The Houthis' Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center handles applications, and one Chinese container ship received a one-week permit with instructions to keep its AIS on. International maritime authorities advise against engaging with the HOCC.

Captains wishing to transit the Bab al-Mandab Strait have been emailing the Iran-backed Houthi terror group for safe passage permits, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. The Houthis, who have declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia since July, allow ships not linked to the US, UK, or Israel to pass. Emails are sent to the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), an administrative entity the Houthis established in early 2024. Vessels state they have no connections to Israel, the US, or the UK, and share their schedules. In one instance, the Houthis authorized the Chinese container ship Zhong Cheng Chang Ling with a one-week permit, instructing it to keep its Automatic Identification System and VHF Channel 16 on. The email invited the ship to call the HOCC hotline and subscribe to its alert service. International maritime authorities advise vessels not to engage with the HOCC, but the captain of the Zhong Cheng Chang Ling said ship management told him to contact the Houthis as an extra precaution.