Houthis Run Email Clearance System for Ships Crossing the Red Sea

Shipowners seeking to move vessels past Yemen are writing to a Houthi-run office in Sanaa for permission, turning an email inbox into a checkpoint on one of the world’s main trade routes.

The Wall Street Journal reviewed correspondence between shippers and the group’s little-known clearance office, it reported on Friday. Captains submit vessel details and declare that the ship has no ties to the U.S., the U.K., Israel or Saudi Arabia, according to the newspaper.

Replies typically arrive within 24 hours, the Journal reported. Approved ships reportedly receive seven-day transit windows along with navigation instructions.

A Published Procedure

The office itself is not secret. The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), run by the Houthis, sets out the process in a public FAQ.

Requests go to [email protected] under the subject “Safe Transit Coordination Request.” The HOCC describes the service as free and optional for vessels “outside the scope of the ban.”

“It may take up to 24 hours from the time the HOCC receives the complete request to reach a decision,” the FAQ states. Elsewhere, it says responses can come “within a few hours.”

Operators are told to apply on departure from the loading port and no less than two days before entering Yemeni territorial waters. The covered area spans the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

Conditions at Sea

Ships are instructed to keep AIS and VHF Channel 16 switched on, list a correct destination and respond to calls from the “Yemeni armed forces.” They are also told to stay on the international route and keep clear of military vessels and ships sailing with AIS off.

Vessels covered by the ban face a blunt warning. Those that transit “will be subject to military targeting,” the FAQ says.

On August 1, the HOCC denied plans to charge transit tolls and said the service remained free.

Saudi Arabia Added to the List

The inclusion of Saudi Arabia reflects the widening of the Houthi campaign. On July 20, the group declared a maritime blockade on Saudi-linked shipping, after earlier emailing firms to warn that vessels loading or discharging at Saudi ports would be targeted.

Some cargo owners have adapted. In July, China was reported to be clearing tankers with the Houthis ship by ship, while some tankers have masked Saudi loadings with false destinations.

The Houthis began targeting Red Sea shipping in November 2023, citing the war in Gaza.

Washington’s Opposite Advice

U.S. authorities advise the reverse. A Maritime Administration advisory tells U.S.-flagged vessels to ignore Houthi emails and VHF calls, turn off AIS in the risk area, vary routes and consider armed security.

The advisory says ships with U.S., U.K., Israeli or Saudi associations face higher risk.

Industry analysts remain skeptical of the assurances. Arran Kennedy of Control Risks told Lloyd’s List the FAQs “offer cold comfort to crews who’ve faced Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.”

“This is a textbook Houthi move to dress up attacks on shipping as legitimate, but it doesn’t change the reality for most shipowners and operators, who will still steer clear of the Red Sea,” he said.