{
  "id": 18564931,
  "title": "Yemen's Houthis granting ships safe passage via email: Report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/yemens-houthis-granting-ships-safe-passage-via-email-report",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T20:48:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/yemens-houthis-granting-ships-safe-passage-email-report"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Yemen’s Houthis are allowing ships to pass through the Red Sea via email, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. The Houthis, who control parts of Yemen, imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia earlier this year, prompting some vessels to reach out to them before navigating through the Red Sea. If the Houthis respond positively, they usually do so within 24 hours, according to the newspaper, which cited crew member accounts and emails it reviewed.\n\nOne email obtained by the Journal described a ship's request for confirmation of safe passage, stating that the vessel had \"no connections with Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.\" The Houthis acknowledged the ship's request and indicated that vessels linked to those countries had been targeted. Another email response from the Houthis to a Chinese container ship thanked the vessel for understanding the criteria for the vessel ban and invited it to subscribe to an email alert service for updates.",
  "summary": "Yemen's Houthis granting ships safe passage via email: Report Yemen’s Houthis are controlling maritime transit of the Red Sea through a system under which vessels can request safe passage via email, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. The Houthis, who control swaths of Yemen, declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia earlier this year, after which some ships began contacting them before…",
  "key_points": [
    "Houthis allow ships to pass via email, per Wall Street Journal",
    "Ships request confirmation within 24 hours, report says",
    "Houthis acknowledge non-Israeli, non-Western ships' passage"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "Shippers wishing to cross Bab al-Mandab email Houthis for permits, sign up for alerts - report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/shippers-wishing-to-cross-bab-al-mandab-email-houthis-for-permits",
        "published": "2026-11-06T16:50:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}