Horn of Africa in July 2026: the most important developments in security
Shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden dominated security news from the Horn of Africa in July 2026. On July 16 Iran was reported to have asked the Houthis to close the strait if the United States targets its energy sites. On July 17 pirates allegedly hijacked the chemical tanker Asana in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen. On July 21 Yemen's Houthi movement declared a blockade of the strait amid the ongoing war between the United States and Iran, following an earlier threat to close it in connection with an embargo against Saudi Arabia. Reports said the blockade could disrupt shipping routes through the Red Sea. Later reports said Saudi Arabia was balancing deterrence in the strait without moving to full war, and that the Houthis sought to replicate the Hormuz model there.
In Somalia, a letter from Mogadishu on July 10 warned that the peacekeeping force was in jeopardy after the Trump administration cut funds. The same day a commando recounted the failed attempt to rescue a French agent held by al-Shabab. An alleged ringleader of the Feeding Our Future fraud was transferred from Somalia to face US charges.
On July 8 the Sudanese army seized a strategic border town near Ethiopia.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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