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. "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. 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.