In normal times, up to 15 percent of all global trade passes through the Red Sea, though recent conflicts have cut this volume by nearly half. Well before the latest series of crises, the Red Sea served as a battleground for states seeking a higher position within the global order. Power within the Red Sea has shifted throughout the period of US hegemony and then with the emerging multipolar order of the twenty-first century. The Arab League states were keen to emphasize the Red Sea as an Arab sphere of influence—accusing Ethiopia of leasing Red Sea islands to the Israeli military, the presidents of both Egypt and Syria stated unequivocally that the Red Sea is an “Arab lake.” In the leadup to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, blockading Israeli shipments required a near-complete Arabization of the Red Sea and coordination of policy among members of the Arab League. In the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea, the roots of present-day statecraft run deep.

Source: New York Times February 16, 2024 01:02 UTC