The United States has removed sanctions on Eritrea after President Trump declined to renew the measure, with the State Department citing efforts to advance American interests in the Red Sea region. The sanctions, imposed in 2021, targeted the Eritrean military, the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice, and other actors over their alleged role in atrocities committed during the Tigray war in Ethiopia. The shift comes as the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb take on greater strategic significance amid shipping disruptions and tensions involving Yemen and Iran. A State Department spokesperson acknowledged that implementation of the Ethiopia–Tigray peace deal has been inconsistent but said Washington wants to engage both countries under current geopolitical realities rather than maintain the prior sanctions framework.