Captains who wish to transit the Bab al-Mandab Strait have been using a communication channel with the Iran-backed Houthi terror group via email for safe transit, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
While technically the Houthis have said ships not linked to the US, UK, or Israel are allowed through the strait, after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia in July, shippers have begun emailing the terror group to receive assurances of their safety.
Emails are sent to an administrative entity established by the Houthis in early 2024 called the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, which handles applications and communicates the Houthis actions.
Emails seen by the WSJ show vessels stating that neither the ship nor the crew has any connections with Israel, the US, or the UK.
Ships will share their estimated schedules and assure that they will adhere to the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea.
If the Houthis reply, they will typically do so within the next 24 hours, the WSJ wrote, citing crew members and emails.
Houthis instruct ship to keep AIS on
In one instance, the Houthis sent authorization to the Chinese containership Zhong Cheng Chang Ling, issuing it a one-week permit and telling it to keep its Automatic Identification System, which broadcasts a ship's identity, position, speed, and destination, in operation through transit.
Additionally, the ship was told to keep VHF Channel 16, a marine VHF radio frequency designated as an international distress frequency, in operation.
The email ends with an invitation to call the HOCC hotline number if needed and to subscribe to the HOCC email alert service to receive news and updates from the Houthis.
The official guidance from international maritime authorities is that vessels should not engage or register with the HOCC, and many vessels choose not to contact them, the WSJ wrote.
However, the captain of the Zhong Cheng Chang Ling told the WSJ that the ship management told him to contact the Houthis as an extra precaution.