The Red Sea is an important route for transporting Saudi Arabian crude oil to the international market after Iran's attacks and threats disrupted energy exports from the Gulf region through the Strait of Hormuz.
Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told AFP that this move is "a dangerous escalation to turn one of the world's most strategic maritime corridors into a regular source of funding for military and terrorist activities by the militia.
Mr. Eryani said that this assessment comes from "confirmed intelligence". Accordingly, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is helping to manage this effort.
Intelligence information shows that experts and advisors of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are directly involved in designing the technical and administrative framework of the project," Mr. Eryani added.
He said that this will include the establishment of a specialized organization to collect fees from shipping companies and commercial ships.
The fate of the Strait of Hormuz continues to be the focus of peace talks between the US and Iran.
Tehran affirms its right to charge fees to ships using the Strait of Hormuz, which previously transported 1/5 of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas.
Concerns are rising throughout the Gulf region about the possibility that Houthi forces are deploying a similar strategy of Iran in Hormuz for the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the Red Sea port. This move is likely to push the world energy market into even more chaos.
Houthi attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden have sharply reduced the volume of goods in the conflict in Gaza, forcing ships to take long roundabouts around southern Africa.
Last week, Houthi forces declared a sea blockade against Saudi Arabia and have since claimed responsibility for attacks targeting oil tankers and Saudi Arabia's oil infrastructure.
The blockade threatens Saudi Arabia's ability to export millions of barrels of crude oil per day, cutting off the remaining shipping route of this country after Iran tightened the Strait of Hormuz.
Saudi Arabia responded with attacks targeting Houthi positions.
The fighting marks the first time in many years that Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces have fought fiercely and threatened a ceasefire agreement reached in 2022.
A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been fighting with the Houthi forces since 2015, after this force occupied the capital Sanaa and overthrew the internationally recognized government.
The re-emergence of conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi forces shows that the conflict between the US and Iran has spread.
On July 29, the US and Saudi Arabia launched attacks on members of a paramilitary coalition in Iraq, including pro-Iranian groups, killing at least 20 people.
