A week after declaring the blockade of Saudi Arabia, the Houthis were reported to be weighing transit fees on ships passing the Bab al-Mandeb. The reporting placed the origin of the idea in Tehran, raised during a Houthi delegation's visit in July, with Iranian advisers said to be helping stand up an authority to administer the charges. The Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations … [Read more...] about The Bab al-Mandeb Transit Fee the Houthis Say They Are Not Charging
Saudi Arabia Launched a 14-Nation Red Sea Coalition and Neither Washington Nor Brussels Joined
On 30 July, ten days after the Houthis declared their blockade, Riyadh announced a maritime coalition to protect Red Sea shipping alongside thirteen other states. The United States and the European Union were invited. Both stayed out. That absence is the most informative fact about the coalition. Why Washington did not join American naval capacity in the region is committed … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia Launched a 14-Nation Red Sea Coalition and Neither Washington Nor Brussels Joined
Houthi Blockade of Saudi Arabia: Bab al-Mandeb Traffic Fell 24 Percent and Then Stopped Falling
The Houthi maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, declared on 20 July 2026, produced a sharp and then remarkably flat effect on traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb. Transits fell from 354 in the week of 13 to 19 July to 269 in the week beginning 20 July, a drop of roughly 24 percent. Preliminary figures for the following week showed 266. The decline arrived immediately and then held … [Read more...] about Houthi Blockade of Saudi Arabia: Bab al-Mandeb Traffic Fell 24 Percent and Then Stopped Falling
The Mecca Defense Pact Cannot Answer the Houthi Blockade of Saudi Arabia
Two days after Mohammed bin Salman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Shehbaz Sharif signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a drone hit Aramco's refinery at Jizan and started a fire. The Saudi energy ministry confirmed the blaze on the morning of August 9, said it had been extinguished, and reported no casualties. The Houthi military spokesman claimed the strike and called it … [Read more...] about The Mecca Defense Pact Cannot Answer the Houthi Blockade of Saudi Arabia
Houthi Official Hazam al-Assad Declares Proportionality Dead in Threat Against Saudi Arabia
Hazam al-Assad, a member of the Ansarullah political bureau, posted a statement on X declaring that "the era of responding with proportional strikes and balanced rules of engagement is over." He tied the declaration directly to Riyadh: "As long as the siege on our people continues, the siege on you will continue and intensify. Every escalation will be met with an even sharper … [Read more...] about Houthi Official Hazam al-Assad Declares Proportionality Dead in Threat Against Saudi Arabia
The Two Chokepoints That Could Break the Global Economy: Hormuz and the Taiwan Strait
The modern global economy is often described as resilient, diversified, and adaptive. In many respects, that is true. Supply chains have become more sophisticated, financial markets more liquid, and states more experienced in crisis management. Yet beneath that surface lies a harder reality: globalization still depends on a small number of geographic bottlenecks. If two of the … [Read more...] about The Two Chokepoints That Could Break the Global Economy: Hormuz and the Taiwan Strait
China’s Strategic Position in the Iran War
Status: Active observer. Providing Iran with diplomatic protection and economic continuity. Playing long. Last updated: April 17, 2026 China's Position in the Conflict China has not participated militarily in the US-Israeli war against Iran. It has, however, adopted a stance of systematic Iran-side diplomatic support while maintaining public neutrality — a combination it … [Read more...] about China’s Strategic Position in the Iran War
Global Economy April 2026: War and the IMF Outlook
Source: IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2026 — "Global Economy in the Shadow of War" Last updated: April 17, 2026 Headline Numbers Scenario2026 Growth2026 Inflation Reference (short conflict)3.1%4.4% Adverse (sharp energy spike)2.5%5.4% Severe (extended disruption)2.0%6%+ Pre-conflict forecast (Jan 2026)3.4%declining What Changed The April 2026 WEO represents a … [Read more...] about Global Economy April 2026: War and the IMF Outlook
Spektr Raises $20 Million to Bring AI Agents Into Financial Compliance
Spektr, a Copenhagen-based startup building AI infrastructure for compliance in financial services, has raised $20 million in Series A funding in a round led by NEA, with participation from existing investors Northzone, Seedcamp, and PSV Tech. The new capital is set to support expansion of the company’s AI platform and help speed adoption among financial institutions around the … [Read more...] about Spektr Raises $20 Million to Bring AI Agents Into Financial Compliance
NATO Isn’t Collapsing — But the Fractures Are Real
That list you’re reacting to captures something real, but it also compresses a very messy, nuanced situation into a clean “everyone vs. the US” narrative that doesn’t quite hold when you zoom in. What’s actually happening is less dramatic than a collapse — and more serious in a different way. What you’re seeing is not NATO breaking, but NATO reverting to what it actually is: … [Read more...] about NATO Isn’t Collapsing — But the Fractures Are Real