Iran Is Seeking To Charge Tolls For Passage Through The Strait Of Hormuz. The Houthis Will Reportedly Seek To Do The Same

Iran-backed Houthi rebels are considering charging fees for passage through the Red Sea, following Iran's intention to pursue such a move, according to a new report.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, Reuters detailed that the group is looking into imposing the fees for most traffic going through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Group officials discussed the possibility with Iranian counterparts, which have been providing advisory and material support for the ongoing blockade, during the funeral ceremonies of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There is no timeframe for the initiative.

"The Houthis will try ​to gain access over the Red Sea and they will try to charge ships if they do," Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba told the outlet.

Traffic through the waterway has already decreased after the Houthis attacked vessels carrying Saudi oil and infrastructure from the country in the Red Sea.

Some tankers are already avoiding the waterway and will sail to Asia through the Suez Canal as a result of Houthi hostilities, according to another report.

Reuters cited the example of a Danish-flagged tanker carrying oil products called Torm Innovation. A spokesperson told the outlet that "given the security ​situation in the southern part of the Red Sea, the vessel is sailing via ​the Suez and around the Cape to Asia. This reflects our cautious approach ⁠to crew safety, which remains our highest priority." "We will continue to monitor the situation closely as it develops," the spokesperson added.

The outlet added that diverting through the Suez Canal adds around 30 days of journey to destinations if ships can't go through Bab-el Mandeb. The closure of the waterway by the Houthis could exacerbate potential shortages with the Strait of Hormuz also closed due to increased clashes between the U.S. and Iran.

Clashes between the countries have renewed after a brief lull. Iran launched an attack against a U.S. base in Jordan on Tuesday. The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the "Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces launched multiple ballistic missiles from Iran in an attempted surprise attack on U.S. forces based in the Middle East."

It went on to claim that "all Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted. U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness."

President Donald Trump addressed Tehran's attacks against its bases in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, saying Washington will strike the country hard.