Maritime strategy

Ships are anchored off the coast of Khasab in Oman's Musandam Governorate, near the Strait of Hormuz, on Oct. 2, 2026.

IRGC claims it downed US drone, set two tankers ablaze near Hormuz

Iran has stepped up attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in recent weeks.

Fidan

Analysis

What's at stake as Libya's eastern parliament approves Turkey maritime deal

Libya's eastern-based parliament's approval of a long-disputed maritime deal with Turkey marks a strategic win for Ankara as Saddam Hifter seeks Turkish backing for his presidential ambitions, according to analysts.

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Ships are docked along a pier at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the major container ports in Sharjah Emirate, along the Gulf of Oman on July 14, 2026.

Analysis

What's behind Iran’s intensifying attacks on shipping in Hormuz?

With renewed tanker attacks, Tehran is betting that it can make passage through the Strait of Hormuz costly enough to pressure Washington while exploiting the election-related pressures facing President Trump.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

TOPSHOT - Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

Explainer

IMF projects Gulf rebound in 2027. Can energy production keep pace?

Restoring shipping access in the Strait of Hormuz is only part of the recovery, as Gulf producers also need to repair damaged infrastructure to avoid further disruption to production and exports.

Latest News

Hormuz attacks spike after US airstrike on Iran-linked tanker

A cargo ship is pictured off coast of the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, along the Gulf of Oman, on June 28, 2026, after Iran's top diplomat warned that any attempt by shipping to bypass its preferred route through the Strait of Hormuz would "increase tensions" in the Middle East.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

Iran offers Saudi-Yemen dialogue as fighting, Houthi attacks escalate

A security force member stands guard during a protest against Saudi intervention in Yemen, in Sanaa, on Oct. 9, 2026.

Riyadh’s skies remain unsettled after deadly Houthi strikes

Cars drive past the gates of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sept. 19, 2026.

Rubio signals US push to ease Greece-Turkey cable tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (L) during a visit on Oct. 7, 2026, in Athens, Greece.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (2nd L), Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (2nd R) and Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al-Busaidi (R) walk inside a building in Muscat, Oman, on June 22, 2026.

Explainer

The emerging Iran-Oman Hormuz deal: What's at stake?

A framework that gives Tehran a formal role in determining how ships move through the waterway could strengthen its hand in future negotiations with the US.

A Saudi navy ship is pictured docked at King Faisal navy base in Jeddah before the departure of a team to Port Sudan to help with the evacuation efforts of people fleeing Sudan, on April 29, 2023.

Turkey, Pakistan among 14 countries backing Saudi Arabia's anti-Houthi Red Sea alliance

Riyadh won political backing from 14 countries for its proposed maritime defense coalition, but members have yet to commit to joining as Washington weighs its position.

Erdogan and Aoun

Turkey ready to participate in post-UNIFIL force in Lebanon, Erdogan tells Aoun

Aoun paid a one-day visit to Ankara amid Lebanon's push to secure an Israeli withdrawal and end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.

A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on Jan. 10, 2024 in Ismailia, Egypt.

Houthis deny responsibility for drone attack hitting Egypt's Damietta Port

The attack is the first on Egyptian territory since the Iran war erupted in February, raising the risk of further widening the Middle East conflict.

A trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on July 24, 2026, in New York.

Oil jumps 8% as US-Iran war pressures Saudi Arabia, explosions hit Egypt

The price of benchmark Brent crude climbed past $90 per barrel on Wednesday after a renewed round of US-Iran hostilities shattered a days-long lull in fighting and the Houthis targeted Saudi oil exports.

Houthi soldiers stand guard on a missile carrier during an official military parade marking the ninth anniversary of the Houthi takeover of the capital, Sanaa, on Sept. 21, 2023.

Exclusive

Saudi Arabia to announce Red Sea coalition to counter Houthi threats

Around 50 countries have been invited to join the Saudi-led initiative aimed at countering Houthi threats to Red Sea shipping and preventing a repeat of recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

Amberin Zaman

Jared Szuba

By Amberin Zaman , Jared Szuba

A commercial vessel passes through an international shipping lane off Yemen's Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Explainer

Tankers keep sailing Red Sea despite Houthi threats as Saudi oil lifeline faces strains

Roughly a dozen oil tankers were sailing in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as of Tuesday evening, following an uptick in traffic the day before as shippers bet on new US-Iran diplomacy.

Sailors from the navy of Yemen's Aden-based internationally recognized government stand at machine-gun positions aboard a vessel patrolling a shipping lane off Hanish Island in the Red Sea on July 27, 2026.

Aramco turns to Egypt as Houthis disrupt Saudi oil exports: What to know

Riyadh is now looking to use the Mediterranean route more extensively after the Houthis on July 20 threatened to target oil exports passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

David's Sling.

Explainer

As Turkey rivalry heats up, Greece to acquire $4B Israeli air defense system

The Greek defense minister said that the air defense system will be operational within 35 months.

Turkey's servicemen stand at attention on a Turkish submarine as they participate in the live-fire phase of the Blue Homeland 2026 tactical military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, in Antalya on April 9, 2026.

Turkey to begin surveys for planned northern Cyprus gas pipeline

The planned 63-mile link is intended to supply gas for electricity generation but has drawn condemnation from the Republic of Cyprus amid rising rivalries in the eastern Mediterranean.

Hegset

Iran war to cost US $37.5B by end of September, Hegseth tells Senate

Pentagon’s conservative estimate includes military pay and "operations and maintenance" costs, but does not factor in damage to military bases in the region.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, president of Turkey, greets Donald Trump, president of United States, during a welcome ceremony of allied heads of state and government, on July 8, 2026, in Ankara, Turkey.

Analysis

As Turkey eyes US naval revival, here is why big warship deals are unlikely

Turkey's shipbuilding industry could help ease pressure on overstretched US naval yards, though political, technological and financial hurdles make support work more likely than building major US warships.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security