Bab el-Mandeb Archives

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Just Got Handed an Existential Problem: No Pipeline Can Route Around Iran’s Grip on the Region’s Map

President Trump told Axios the United States is 'only semi-negotiating' with Iran, shifting to a strategy of waiting Tehran out while the blockade takes...

Brandon Weichert1 hour ago

HIMARS Test US Military Creative Commons Photo

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Forget Hormuz and the Fifth of the World’s Oil It Carried: A Second Chokepoint Is in Play, and the Detour Runs Around All of Africa

Steve Balestrieri reports that the Houthis have declared an embargo on Saudi ports and are threatening the Bab el-Mandeb, the chokepoint their statements call...

Steve BalestrieriAugust 4, 2026

A Louisiana Air National Guard F-15C Eagle streaks above the Ohio River during the Thunder Over Louisville air show in Louisville, Ky., April 18, 2026. More than a dozen military aircraft performed during the show, including four Kentucky Air National Guard C-130J Super Hercules from the Louisville-based 123rd Airlift Wing and two UH-60 Black Hawks from the Kentucky Army National Guard’s Frankfort-based 63rd Theater Aviation Brigade. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Dale Greer)

The Treaty

Forget Whether Trump Will Finally Pull the Trigger on Iran: The Real Question Is Whether America Can Afford to Keep Making the Threat

Jack Buckby traces a pattern running since March: Trump sets a deadline for Iran, threatens a massive escalation, then extends, pauses, or cancels at...

Jack BuckbyAugust 3, 2026

President Donald J. Trump, joined by Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and others, makes an announcement on coal, Thursday, June 4, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Dollars and Sense

Oil Could Hit $150 Per Barrel and Economic Agony for America: If the Iran War Keeps Going and the Strait of Hormuz Stays Closed

Iran War Ending? We Should Hope So: The world is sitting in stunned confusion (perhaps pleasant surprise is a better term, considering where it...

Brandon WeichertAugust 3, 2026

The Treaty

The Head of US European Command Warned That the Fleet Lacks the Air-Defense Missiles to Cover Both Israel and the Homeland

Brandon J. Weichert argues depletion, not begging, drove Trump's stand-down: EUCOM's chief warned the fleet lacks air-defense missiles to cover Israel and the homeland,...

Brandon WeichertAugust 3, 2026

The U.S. Navy aircraft carriers USS Nimitz (CVN-68), USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) and USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) underway in the Western Pacific on 12 November 2017. The strike groups were underway and conducting operations in international waters as part of a three-carrier strike force exercise. This was the first time since August 2007 that three U.S. Navy carriers operated together. In 2007, USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) participated in exercise "Valiant Shield".

The Treaty

‘Get to Work, Everybody, and Get It DONE’: Trump Called Off the Attack on Iran and Says the ‘Perimeters of a Deal’ Are Agreed

Caleb Larson reports the war's edges keep moving: Iran vows 'whatever action is necessary' against Kyiv over Caspian strikes on its shipping, and the...

Caleb LarsonAugust 3, 2026

Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) transits the South China Sea, June 8, 2026. Boxer, flagship of the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, is underway with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Eliora Sims)

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Trump Just Got Handed a Partial Win: Tankers Are Moving Through Hormuz Again Under American Military Escort Now

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is edging back, with fourteen vessels crossing on Wednesday against single digits last week. The energy secretary says...

Jack BuckbyJuly 30, 2026

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, performs an aerial demonstration at Air Dot Show Tour Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 9, 2026. Capt. Le Tourneau showcased the unmatched capabilities of the F-22 by performing a series of combat maneuvers. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mary Bowers)

Dollars and Sense

‘Gate of Tears’: The Houthis Want to Start Charging Ships to Cross It, and Iran Helped Them Plan the Scheme

Regional sources tell Reuters the Houthis are weighing transit fees on ships crossing the Bab el-Mandeb, a week after declaring an embargo on Saudi...

Steve BalestrieriJuly 29, 2026

Lt. COl. Stephen 'Steagle' Mindek, 104th Fighter Wing pilot, takes off in an F-15C Eagle for Maj. John "Space' Stout's fini-flight, January 10, 2025, at Barnes Air National Guard Base, Westfield, Massachusetts.

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

‘Blockade for Blockade and Escalation for Escalation’: The Houthi Vow After the Saudi Strikes

Saudi Arabia launched some of its biggest strikes on Houthi targets since the border calm collapsed, hitting Hodeidah sites it says were used against...

Jack BuckbyJuly 25, 2026

National Security Journal

All posts tagged "Bab el-Mandeb"

Dollars and Sense

The Gulf States Just Got Handed an Existential Problem: No Pipeline Can Route Around Iran’s Grip on the Region’s Map

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Forget Hormuz and the Fifth of the World’s Oil It Carried: A Second Chokepoint Is in Play, and the Detour Runs Around All of Africa

The Treaty

Forget Whether Trump Will Finally Pull the Trigger on Iran: The Real Question Is Whether America Can Afford to Keep Making the Threat

Dollars and Sense

Oil Could Hit $150 Per Barrel and Economic Agony for America: If the Iran War Keeps Going and the Strait of Hormuz Stays Closed

The Treaty

The Head of US European Command Warned That the Fleet Lacks the Air-Defense Missiles to Cover Both Israel and the Homeland

The Treaty

‘Get to Work, Everybody, and Get It DONE’: Trump Called Off the Attack on Iran and Says the ‘Perimeters of a Deal’ Are Agreed

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

Trump Just Got Handed a Partial Win: Tankers Are Moving Through Hormuz Again Under American Military Escort Now

Dollars and Sense

‘Gate of Tears’: The Houthis Want to Start Charging Ships to Cross It, and Iran Helped Them Plan the Scheme

Military Hardware: Tanks, Bombers, Submarines and More

‘Blockade for Blockade and Escalation for Escalation’: The Houthi Vow After the Saudi Strikes

Recent Posts

Recent Posts

Recent Comments