Yemen government says Houthis planning to impose fees for Red Sea transit

RIYADH: A minister in Yemen's internationally recognised government on Wednesday (Jul 29) accused Houthi rebels of working under Iranian guidance to establish a system to impose fees for ships transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.The narrow maritime artery has been a critical waterway for delivering vast quantities of Saudi crude to the international market, after energy exports were largely choked off by fighting in the Strait of Hormuz.Information minister Moammar al-Eryani described "the move as a dangerous escalation aimed at transforming one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia's military and terrorist activities".Eryani said the assessment was provided by recently obtained "confirmed intelligence" indicatin