According to Iran's Mehr News Agency, a source in the transportation department of the Houthi-controlled Sana'a government in Yemen stated that 73 ships passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the past two days. He added that 36 ships passed through this important waterway on September 10th and 37 ships on September 11th. The source pointed out that Yemen's ban on ships associated with Saudi Arabia is unrelated to other vessels navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He stated that 73 ships passed through the strait in 48 hours, a number roughly equivalent to the number of ships passing through before the ban was implemented. He said these figures refute claims that ships face risks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, proving such claims to be "lies." Previously, Hazam al-Assad, a member of the political office of the Ansar al-Allah Movement (Houthi rebels), also stated that the group's operations on Yemen's west coast are internal affairs and unrelated to international shipping.
