U.S. Lifts Eritrea Sanctions as Red Sea Security Concerns Mount — SkimNews
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- U.S. Treasury lifted sanctions on Eritrea's ruling party and military that the Biden administration imposed in 2021 over humanitarian and human rights concerns tied to the Tigray conflict.
- Office of Foreign Assets Control removed sanctions on Eritrean individuals including key financial official Hagos Ghebrehiwet and the state-owned Red Sea Trading Corporation.
- The original sanctions stemmed from the Tigray war, in which Eritrean forces backed Ethiopian troops against Tigray fighters, a conflict that ended with a peace accord in November 2022.
- Eritrean Information Minister Yemane Gebremeskel called the sanctions "unwarranted" and said they caused considerable damage, thanking the Trump Administration for the "gesture and remedial measures."
- The delisting comes amid heightened Red Sea security concerns as Houthi advances in Yemen threaten shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait near Eritrea's strategic port of Assab.
Why it matters: The timing directly connects to Red Sea security: Eritrea's Assab port sits near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the chokepoint now threatened by Houthi attacks on shipping. By framing the delisting as a "gesture," Eritrea's information minister signals openness to closer U.S. coordination on maritime threats, suggesting the U.S. is prioritizing counter-Houthi cooperation over earlier human rights concerns.
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