US lifts sanctions on Eritrea with Red Sea in focus

The US has lifted sanctions on the Eritrean military and key entities on Friday, as the African country comes under renewed focus because of its strategic location on the Red Sea across from Yemen. The Treasury Department said in a statement that it was lifting sanctions imposed on Eritrea’s decades-long ruling party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice; the Eritrean military; and the Red Sea Trading Corporation, the company that controls much of Eritrea’s trade with the outside world. The US also lifted sanctions on Hagos Ghebrehiwet, a key economic advisor to Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki. Read more: US lifts sanctions on Eritrea with Red Sea in focus Pedestrians cross a busy intersection in Asmara, Eritrea, on 4 October 2025 (Jemal Countess/AFP)