Commercial ships begin registering their crews in Sanaa to cross Bab al-Mandab

SANAA, July 21 (YPA) – Commercial vessels began taking precautionary measures on Tuesday to avoid potential targeting in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, following an announcement by Sanaa forces imposing a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.

According to media reports, a growing number of ships have updated their Automatic Identification System (AIS) broadcasts to display specific details regarding the nationalities of their crews. Sources quoted by Al-Jazeera stated that these updates include signals explicitly indicating that the onboard crew has no affiliations with Saudi Arabia.

The identification measures are seen as an effort to mitigate the risk of misidentification or being targeted in the strategic waterway.

These developments coincide with the immediate implementation of the navigation ban announced by Sanaa forces on Monday. The ban reportedly targets not only Saudi-flagged vessels but also extends to any commercial ships bound for Saudi ports.

YPA