Shipping operators are now emailing a Houthi-run center to seek assurances before crossing the Red Sea, reflecting the mounting risks in the waterway despite the informal system lacking recognized legal authority. The Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni group, have set up a channel through the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), which they established in early 2024 to communicate their maritime restrictions to the shipping industry.

While the arrangement does not give the Houthis any legal right to decide which ships can sail through international waters, some shipping operators have begun seeking reassurance before entering the Red Sea, where Houthi attacks remain a risk. The process involves emailing the HOCC with vessel details and planned voyage, to which the Houthis respond within about 24 hours, indicating whether the ship is considered a target.

One example cited in the report involved the Chinese container ship Zhong Cheng Chang Ling, which received approval from the Houthis after its ship-management company contacted them in September. The captain said the company had instructed him to make contact “out of an abundance of caution.”

Shipping companies are contacting the Houthis to reduce the risk to their vessels, as the Red Sea has become one of the most dangerous stretches of water for commercial shipping since the Houthis began attacking vessels in response to the Saudi-led coalition’s actions in Yemen. The alternative route, sailing around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, can add significant time and cost to a journey between Asia and Europe.

However, international maritime authorities have advised ships against engaging with or registering through the Houthi system, partly because communicating with an armed group can create its own legal and security risks. The United States also designates the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization.

The latest Red Sea shipping crisis began with a direct confrontation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia in July 2026, when the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia, warning that ships linked to Saudi ports or carrying Saudi cargo could face attack. This raised fears about the Bab el-Mandeb, a narrow strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which around 12 percent of global trade normally passes.

The development highlights the changing security situation in the Red Sea and the difficult choices shipping companies face when navigating the region, rather than the Houthis suddenly “owning” or legally controlling the waterway.