U.S. Courts Eritrea, Strategic Asset in Red Sea Amid Maritime Tensions

The Wall Street Journal, WSJ, reported on the 22nd that the U.S. government is considering easing some sanctions imposed on Eritrea, an East African nation known for its isolation and dictatorship, and reopening high-level diplomatic channels.

The aftermath of the war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran, which has led to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is causing upheaval in global maritime geopolitics. Particularly, the geopolitical value of countries controlling key maritime chokepoints—critical passages for international shipping—has surged. With the war’s prolongation maximizing uncertainty, this trend is expected to continue.

◇U.S. Reaches Out to ‘Africa’s North Korea’

The Wall Street Journal, WSJ, reported on the 22nd that the U.S. government is considering easing some sanctions imposed on Eritrea, an East African nation known for its isolation and dictatorship, and reopening high-level diplomatic channels.

Eritrea, with an area roughly half the size of the Korean Peninsula and a population of 6.27 million, was forcibly merged into Ethiopia as a province in 1962 after nearly 60 years of Italian colonial rule. Following a 30-year civil war, it gained independence in 1993. The authoritarian regime of President Isaias Afwerki, a former armed independence struggle leader, has continued for 33 years.

Eritrea, which advocates non-interference in internal affairs as its foreign policy, is known as a representative human rights-abusing nation and a reclusive state. Dissidents are imprisoned in container prisons in thHowever, analysts suggest that Eritrea came to be perceived as a new "strategic asset" by the Donald Trump administration, which prioritized national interest-driven diplomacy. Despite having only 10% of Ethiopia’s area and 5% of its population, Eritrea secured the entire Red Sea coast exceeding 1,100 km during its independence. This gave it control over the northwestern side of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical passage through which 12% of the world’s maritime oil shipments pass. The port of Assab in southern Eritrea is the closest harbor to the entrance of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Located 70 km from Assab, the neighboring country of Djibouti hosts military bases of the U.S., China, France, and Japan.esert without trial, and around 10,000 to 20,000 political prisoners are held in hundreds of detention facilities nationwide, earning it the nickname "Africa’s North Korea." While the U.S. was one of the first countries to recognize Eritrea’s independence, relations became strained as the U.S. criticized the ruling regime’s political and media repression. The U.S. has imposed sanctions multiple times on Eritrean officials, citing human rights abuses and arms smuggling with North Korea. Along with Syria and Myanmar, Eritrea is a country where the U.S. has deliberately left ambassadorial positions vacant due to human rights concerns.

Even before the war with Iran, the U.S. had pursued improved relations to counterbalance China’s growing influence in Eritrea. However, the recent move by the Iran-aligned Houthi armed forces in Yemen, which borders the Red Sea to the east, to threaten a blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has maximized Eritrea’s strategic value. If the Houthis proceed with the blockade, the U.S. would need additional bases for military response. The WSJ stated, "U.S. officials believe that initiating dialogue with the possibility of lifting sanctions could yield long-term benefits in the Red Sea region," adding, "The strategic importance is deemed too significant to avoid attempting to restore relations despite Eritrea’s human rights abuses."

◇Indonesia Also Proposes Reviewing ‘Malacca Transit Fees’

In Southeast Asia, another key maritime logistics hub, there are moves to leverage straits as strategic assets. Finance Minister Purwaya Yudi Sadewa of Indonesia publicly proposed imposing transit fees on merchant ships passing through the Malacca Strait during a symposium held in Jakarta on the 22nd. The Malacca Strait, stretching approximately 800 km between Indonesia’s Sumatra Island and the Malay Peninsula, is a critical chokepoint through which 25% of global maritime cargo passes. Around 80% of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) bound for Northeast Asia, including South Korea and Japan, passes through the Malacca Strait after transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Minister Purwaya directly referenced Iran’s imposition of transit fees on the Strait of Hormuz, stating, "The same logic can be applied to the Malacca Strait." He argued that since 70% of East Asia’s energy and trade passes through Indonesian waters within the Malacca Strait, Indonesia should receive corresponding revenues. While the argument is that coastal states bear the costs of strait management and security burdens, thus entitled to compensation, it is essentially interpreted as an intention to maximize Indonesia’s diplomatic and economic interests on the international stage by leveraging control over the Malacca Strait.

Malaysia and Singapore, which share the strait, immediately opposed the proposal. Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated, "Free passage is an international legal right guaranteed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," adding, "We will not participate in any tollgate attempts." Malaysia’s Transport Minister Lok Siu Fook also drew a line, saying, "Maintaining freedom of navigation is an unchanging principle." With two of the three coastal states publicly opposing, the immediate realization of Indonesia’s measures is unlikely. However, analysts suggest that Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous nation and Southeast Asia’s largest economy, cannot be ruled out from pushing forward leveraging its superior national power.