Email your request: How the Houthis took control of the Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have become the de facto gatekeepers of Red Sea shipping, with vessels emailing them to request safe passage, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Since the Iran-backed group declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia earlier this year, some shipping companies have started asking permission before crossing the Red Sea, according to the newspaper. The rebels usually reply within 24 hours, the Journal said, citing sailors and emails it had reviewed.

In one message, the captain of an unidentified ship states that his vessel has “no links to Israel, the United Kingdom or the United States” and asks for “confirmation of safe passage.” The Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships suspected of ties to those three countries, all of which have carried out strikes in Yemen.

In another email, the rebels approve a request from a Chinese container ship. “We are pleased that you have understood the criteria defining vessels subject to the ban,” they write, granting a seven-day transit permit, and inviting the crew to subscribe to their email alert service for updates.

From truce to blockade

The fragile truce agreed in 2022 collapsed in July, when the Houthis allowed an Iranian aircraft to land in Sanaa, defying Saudi Arabia’s control of Yemeni airspace.

The rebels then declared a blockade against the kingdom and stepped up attacks on its ships, territory and oil facilities. They later seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, greatly expanding their ability to target shipping on one of the world’s busiest trade routes.