Geopolitical Tensions Boost Appeal of Northern Sea Route, Says Russian Official

MOSCOW, July 21. /TASS/. The current global geopolitical situation, including the Houthi naval blockade of Saudi Arabia and the risk of the Bab al-Mandab Strait’s closure, is increasing the appeal of the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to traditional transport corridors, Konstantin Kosachev, deputy chairman of the Russian Federation Council (the upper house of parliament), said.

"Current geopolitical developments around the world are further boosting demand for the Northern Sea Route, especially amid a new escalation in the US-Iran conflict. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles about 25% of global oil supplies and 20% of liquefied natural gas deliveries, has once again been disrupted. Rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and the Yemen-based Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, are creating the risk of the Bab al-Mandab Strait being closed as well. This is further increasing the appeal of the Northern Sea Route as an alternative to traditional transport corridors," he said at a roundtable on the development of the Northern Sea Route hosted by the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs.

According to Kosachev, "the absence of political risks" is one of the factors making the Northern Sea Route attractive. "The entire Northern Sea Route runs through the territorial waters of a single country, Russia. However, this is precisely why we are facing artificial barriers such as sanctions, which since 2022 have changed the practice of resolving maritime disputes and the way infrastructure operates," he added.