Shipping companies have started emailing the Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) to seek approval for passing through the Red Sea, according to The Wall Street Journal, referencing sources and email exchanges.
As reported by the newspaper’s sources, after the Houthis announced a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July, certain shipowners have begun contacting the Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) to obtain security assurances prior to sending their ships into the Red Sea.
The WSJ states that the HOCC is an administrative entity created by Ansar Allah in early 2024. Its role is to handle requests from shipowners and share information concerning the restrictions enforced by the Houthis.
The publication highlights that, officially, the movement has not banned ships, unless they are associated with the United States, the United Kingdom, or Israel, from transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. However, after the blockade against Saudi Arabia was announced, shipowners have started reaching out to the HOCC to obtain safety guarantees.
Simultaneously, official recommendations from global maritime agencies caution ships against communicating with the HOCC or signing up with it.
According to the WSJ, the Houthis usually reply to these requests within a day, instructing vessels to maintain their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), which relay information about a ship’s identity, position, speed, and destination, activated.
source: wsj.com
