Forces from the Iran-backed Houthi militias on Tuesday blocked a UN-chartered ship carrying representatives of the internationally recognized government from leaving Hodeidah port, the government and a source familiar with the matter said, according to Reuters. The ship was prevented from leaving for a second time by the militias, government-run SABA news agency said. The ship had been scheduled to sail on Tuesday morning for the government-controlled port of Mokha to drop off government representatives who two weeks ago suspended their participation in a UN-mediated joint negotiating team discussing a truce and troop redeployment from the contested port city of Hodeidah. The United Nations has been holding meetings between the warring parties on board the ship for months. Houthi officials did not respond to a Reuters request for comment and the UN was not immediately available to comment.