The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents of Iran are reportedly considering a plan to extort “fees” for safe passage of international shipping vessels in the Red Sea, modeled on Iran’s plans to collect ransoms for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Reuters on Wednesday quoted “regional sources with knowledge of the matter” who said the Houthis are contemplating a plan to impose “fees” on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Two of the regional officials who spoke to Reuters said the plan was hatched when Houthi representatives traveled to Iran in July for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed...
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