Updated

The US Treasury Department lifted sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party, military, and the Red Sea Trading Corporation, according to Middle East Eye. The move comes as Eritrea draws renewed strategic attention due to its location on the Red Sea directly across from Yemen, amid an ongoing Houthi military offensive threatening regional shipping. The sanctions relief signals a broader US effort to build regional partnerships around Red Sea security as Houthi attacks continue to threaten commercial shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a corridor already prompting other nations, including Italy, to deploy naval assets.