EDITORIAL

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 27 July 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Abstract

The security of global maritime trade is increasingly shaped by the interaction of three interconnected strategic maritime corridors: the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab el-Mandeb, and the Black Sea. Rather than representing isolated theaters of conflict, these maritime chokepoints form a single geostrategic system whose disruption would have cascading consequences for international trade, energy security, and geopolitical stability. ... Read more

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Shaul Shay
(Senior research fellow at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) at the Interdisciplinary Centre Herzliya and former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 19 July 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

On July 13, 2026, the departure and landing runways at the Houthi-controlled Sana'a International Airport were targeted in an airstrike. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed responsibility for the attack on the Houthi-held airport, saying it wanted to prevent an Iranian plane from landing.[ Yemen says it struck Sanaa airport to stop Iranian plane from landing, Al Arabiya, July 13, 2026.] Houthi-controlled areas were last targeted by the Saudi-led coalition before a UN-brokered truce to cease hostilities came into effect in 2022.[ In major escalation, Yemen’s Houthis target Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport, the times of Israel, July 14, 2026.

Following the strikes, the internationally recognized Yemeni government ordered all airports across the country shut down until further notice.[ Yemen government says attacked Sanaa airport to keep Iranian plane from landing, Ahram online, July 13, 2026.... Read more

by Shay Gal
(Founder and Principal of Line of State, a strategic practice working with governments, institutions and decision-makers on strategy, risk, access and security decisions in high-stakes environments. He previously served as Vice President of External Relations at Israel Aerospace Industries)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 18 July 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The Eastern Mediterranean needs a centre, not a patron. Israel, Greece and Cyprus are it.[1] They read Turkey as a system that converts geography into leverage, NATO membership into insulation, occupation into depth, migration into pressure and defence exports into reach. Without European power, Ankara reduces their alignment to a local coalition, recasts a systemic threat as bilateral disputes and negotiates each crisis back to its latest gain..... Read more

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 9 July 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Introduction
The Eastern Mediterranean is undergoing its most profound strategic transformation since the end of the Cold War (Tsailas, 2026) The era in which the maritime domain was regarded primarily as a commercial corridor has come to an end. Today, the Mediterranean has re-emerged as a contested geopolitical arena where sovereignty, deterrence, energy security, technological superiority, and naval power intersect.... Read more

by Riaan Eksteen, Ph.D.
(Emeritus Ambassador and currently Research Associate with the Department of Political Studies and Governance, Faculty: The Humanities, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 9 July 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Note: Presented to the International Online Scientific Conference “Proxy Warfare - Proxy Wars in the Contemporary Security Environment” held online via Microsoft Teams, Warsaw, 24 June 2026.

Proxy conflicts are a critical aspect of the contemporary security landscape, since they enable states and non-state actors to achieve strategic objectives indirectly, frequently underneath the threshold of overt interstate conflict. A proxy war is a conflict in which a foreign entity aids a local state or non-state combatant to influence the outcome without direct belligerent involvement. The key concern inherent in this definition is the employment of a proxy force to further the sponsor's goals.... Read more

Savannah Bennett & Rachel Skinner
(RIEAS Interns & Undergraduate Students, Department of Intelligence and Security Studies, Coastal Carolina University, USA)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 21 June 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Note: Eva Akritidou, Reviewer of the Research Article

The Eastern Mediterranean has become increasingly important in geopolitics due to its positioning between Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. As there is a competition for energy and economical gains, the US has emerged as a key focus for foreign policy....  Read more