The Houthis have set up an email address to receive requests for ships to cross the Red Sea, a move that strengthens their control over maritime traffic and pushes companies to request passage approval in advance.
The Wall Street Journal, in a review of correspondence between shipping companies and an unknown entity affiliated with the Houthis, revealed that the Yemeni group has effectively begun to control navigation in the Red Sea through a system of requests for ship captains seeking permission to pass through.
This mechanism is based on one basic step: sending an email to the Houthis.
In early 2024, the group established an administrative entity called the "Center for the Coordination of Humanitarian Operations," through which it handled requests from shipping companies and communication regarding the sanctions imposed by the Houthis.
In theory, ships not affiliated with the United States, Britain, or Israel could have transited without contacting the center. However, the Houthis' July declaration of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia prompted some shipping companies to seek assurances from the center regarding safe passage before re- entering the Red Sea, according to sailors, maritime analysts, and correspondence reviewed by the newspaper.
According to crew members and messages seen by the newspaper, the Houthis typically respond within 24 hours if they decide to reply. An example of this is their approval in September for the passage of the Chinese container ship "Zhong Cheng Chang Ling".
The Suez Canal records its highest revenue since the Red Sea crisis.
The ship's captain said the maritime management company advised him to contact the Houthis as a precaution. After receiving their response, the ship changed its course on the evening of September 8 from Port Klang, Malaysia, a major container shipping hub on the Strait of Malacca, to an "armed guard on board" designation—a phrase commonly used to deter Houthi attacks and piracy attempts. It then sailed through the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait before entering the Indian Ocean on September 11 and later returning to its original destination, according to ship tracking data.
During the voyage, the ship complied with the Houthi instructions and kept its automatic identification devices switched on throughout the journey.
Conversely, many ships have chosen not to engage with the Houthis, who are under US sanctions and designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Furthermore, official guidelines from international maritime bodies strongly advise against dealing with or registering with the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre.
