LONDON (Dispatches) -- Commercial shipping companies seeking safe passage through the Red Sea can submit direct email requests for clearance to naval authorities affiliated with Yemen’s Sana’a-based government, the Wall Street Journal reported, as vessel operators scramble for reassurance before entering waters under effective control of the Yemeni Armed Forces.
Authorities in Sana’a have established the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) to function as the central authority regulating commercial maritime traffic transiting the Bab el-Mandab Strait, the strategic waterway at the gateway to the Red Sea and passage to the Suez Canal. 
Under the HOCC, ship operators submit vessel ownership, cargo manifests, and destination details via email prior to entering Yemeni territorial waters. The coordination center evaluates compliance to ensure vessels maintain no destination ties or commercial links to the U.S., UK, Israel, or Saudi Arabia. 
The HOCC then responds within 24 hours stating whether the ship will be considered a target by the Yemeni Armed Forces, with approvals valid for seven days.
The WSJ report cited the case of the Chinese container ship Zhong Cheng Chang Ling, which contacted the HOCC in September out of “abundance of caution” and received approval to transit Bab el-Mandab. 
After receiving the approval, the ship changed its stated destination to “armed guard on board” before crossing the Red Sea, then changed it back to Port Klang after entering the Indian Ocean, keeping its automatic identification system active throughout.
The report also claimed Saudi Arabia had approached Yemen “to see what it would take to arrive at a negotiated halt to the hostilities,” with the Ansarullah-led government reportedly demanding $51 billion and recognition as Yemen’s official rulers. Saudi Deputy Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Rayed Krimly “categorically” denied the claims on Friday.
The HOCC system emerged after Tehran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz in February following the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, prompting Saudi Arabia to reroute oil exports by pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea. 
Yemen announced a maritime blockade against the kingdom in July, saying it would target Saudi oil tankers and ships traveling to Saudi ports. Commercial vessels can bypass Bab el-Mandab by sailing around Africa, but the detour adds weeks and sharply raises costs.