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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces have completed preparations to shut down the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and ships seeking passage would be asked to pay $5 million, an Iranian lawmaker said.
"The Houthis have carried out exercises in recent days to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and all necessary preparations for its effective closure have been completed," Ali Khezrian, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said.
Khezrian also laid out two options for international vessels navigating the region. Ships that are not considered hostile, he noted, could either avoid the strait entirely or pay for safe passage.
"Ships will either bypass the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and bear an additional cost of around $30 million, or pay $5 million to Yemeni forces to secure safe transit," he explained in a post on X.
The proposed move, Khezrian indicated, is not only about military positioning but also about shaping transit costs and asserting strategic control in the region. He added that such steps send a broader message about influence over critical energy and trade routes.
Khezrian’s remarks come as tensions between Iran and the United States continue to simmer, with speculation growing over potential disruptions in key maritime corridors.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key energy corridor, has been effectively closed since the war began on Feb. 28, while Tehran has attempted to introduce a toll-based system requiring ships passing through the waterway to pay up to $2 million.
Regarding the developments, U.S. President Donald Trump said, "They better not be, and if they are, they better stop now." However, two weeks later, Iran announced that its central bank had received the first transit-fee payments.
In response, the U.S. has moved to organize a broader effort, proposing a new international maritime coalition to safeguard shipping and reopen the waterway, alongside calls at the United Nations for a “coalition for maritime freedom” to counter restrictions in the strait.
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