Maintenance in progress

houthi attacks on cargo vessels in bab el-mandeb killed at least six people — the first shipping deaths attributed to them since the iran war began in february 2026 — and are being read as a test of the mecca mutual defense arrangement. in the same window the trump administration shifted back toward a sanctions-first approach on iran, adding a demand for us compensation alongside iran's own reparations demands. russian vessels elsewhere are now fitting protective cages and moving in convoys against drone attacks.

maritime security and regional wire reporting