According to a minister in Yemen's internationally recognised government, the Houthis are working with Iran on a payment system for ships passing through the strait.
The Bab el-Mandeb Strait connects the Red Sea to several important shipping lanes. A week ago, the Houthi movement claimed to have imposed a naval blockade on the strait.
Moammar al-Eryani, the information minister, said the measure is “a dangerous escalation” and means “transforming one of the world’s most strategic maritime corridors into a permanent source of funding for the militia’s military and terrorist activities.”
