Ship Captains E-mail Houthis To Obtain Permission For Safe Passage Through Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthis have imposed a maritime licensing system in the Red Sea to control commercial shipping traffic through the critical waterway, especially after the Group declared a blockade of Saudi Arabian Ports this year.

According to sources, shipping companies have advised captains of contacting an entity called the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center or HOOC that was formed by Houthis in 2024.

Through this administrative body, the Houthis give out warnings to ships, and also provide instructions regarding passage and impose shipping restrictions.

Ships send safe-passage requests to this body and according to captains and crew members, the reply from the Houthis comes within 24 hours.

Usually, ships without connections to the U.S, the U.K or Israel don’t need to contact the HOOC for transit requests, however since the declaration of Saudi Arabian port ban by the Group, maritime companies have become vigilant and contact the body for getting prior clearance to avoid getting attacked.

An email sent by one of the captains illustrates the process. A captain of a Chinese container ship, the Zhong Cheng hang Ling, pledged to the Houthis that his vessel was chinese-owned, managed and had chinese crew members.

He vowed that it did not have any links to the US, UK or Israel and the captain affirmed compliance with the Houthi-issued ‘Ban on Maritime Traffic To And From Saudi Arabian Port Facilities’ and the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) in exchange for confirmation of passage.

After the ship got the clearance, the HOOC said it could sail through the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

However, the ship was given several directives such as keeping its Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and VHF channel 16 active at all times, following international shipping lines, avoid ships sailing with disabled AIS or military vessels, report any suspicious activity in the vicinity and notify the Houthis if the destination changes.

The HOOC has also set up a telephone hotline and email services to remain in contact with the vessels.

Data confirms that the Zhong Cheng Chang Ling followed the Houthi instructions and on September 8, it changed its destination from Port Klang in Malaysia to broadcast ‘Armed Guard On Board’, a common tactic by vessels to prevent Houthi attacks or pirates from boarding the vessel.

However, when the ship entered the Indian Ocean on September 11, 2026, it changed its destination to Port Klang.

International maritime organisations emphasise that this mechanism is not legal and that ships should not contact the HOCC or obtain permission from Houthis.

Additionally, the U.S has designated the Group as a terrorist organisation and imposed sanctions on its working.