Shippers seek Houthi email clearance before crossing the Red Sea

US sanctions Houthis; maritime authorities tell ships not to engage

The requests follow a set pattern. In an application sent to the Houthis on Aug. 16 that The Wall Street Journal reviewed, a ship’s master declared that the vessel had no connections with Israel, the United Kingdom or the United States, that its owner, management company and operator were Chinese enterprises and that all crew members aboard were Chinese. The master asked for safe transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, listed estimated arrivals at Al Mukha and points along the strait for Aug. 19, and wrote that the vessel would “abide by COLREGs and navigate safely through these waters.”

The same email acknowledged the Houthis’ July blockade. “We understand and will comply with the ‘Ban of Maritime Traffic to and from Saudi Ports’ issued by the Yemeni Armed Forces on 20 July 2026,” it read, closing, “We kindly request your confirmation for safe passage.”

The Houthis established the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center in early 2024 to handle shippers’ applications and communicate the group’s own sanctions. Technically, ships with no links to the United States, the United Kingdom or Israel could transit without contacting the center. After the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, however, some shippers began seeking the center’s reassurance about the safety of their transit before entering the Red Sea again, according to seafarers, maritime analysts and the emails the Journal reviewed.

When the Houthis choose to reply, they typically do so within 24 hours, according to crew members and emails seen by the Journal. In September, the center cleared the Zhong Cheng Chang Ling, a Chinese containership, for passage. “We are glad that you understood the criteria for the scope of the vessels ban so far,” the reply said, adding that the vessel, listed under IMO number 1124310, “can safely transit through Red Sea, Bab el-Mandab, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.”

The permit was valid for seven days from the date of issuance. The reply asked the crew to inform the center of any changes to the vessel’s voyage and invited it to subscribe to the center’s email alert service.

The captain of the Zhong Cheng Chang Ling said the ship’s management company told him to contact the Houthis out of an abundance of caution.

On the evening of Sept. 8, the day after the Houthi response, the containership changed its listed destination from Port Klang — a major Malaysian container-shipping hub on the Strait of Malacca — to “armed guard on board,” a common tactic to deter Houthi attacks and discourage pirates from boarding, according to ship-tracking data. The vessel sailed through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, entered the Indian Ocean on Sept. 11 and then changed its destination back to Port Klang. It followed the Houthis’ command and kept its AIS transponders on throughout the trip.

Many vessels have chosen not to make such requests. The Houthis are sanctioned and designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States, and official guidance from international maritime authorities is that vessels should not engage or register with the coordination center.

The blockade has weighed on traffic through the strait. Transits of oil and gas tankers through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait initially slowed in July after the Houthis announced the blockade, but have since recovered slightly.