Diplomacy 101: Undiplomatically Speaking
Where Beliefs Clash and Stories Flash
Red Sea Realignments and Quiet Alliances
Mid-August brought renewed focus to maritime chokepoints and subtle shifts in alliance structures.
Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia signed a security cooperation pact focused on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s busiest oil and trade corridors. The agreement includes naval training and joint port infrastructure investments, raising eyebrows in Cairo and Washington alike.
Simultaneously, Egypt resumed military coordination talks with the UAE and Greece over Mediterranean naval strategy, underlining how maritime policy is becoming central to regional diplomacy.
In the background, Israel and Jordan conducted rare backchannel discussions on energy and water cooperation—low-key but significant as broader regional dialogues remain gridlocked.
The world’s seas, once the realm of straightforward navigation, are increasingly the site of veiled negotiation and strategic signaling.