Global Shipping Braces As US Zeroes In On Strategic Chokepoints

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Red Sea attacks and Arctic ice melt are now part of the same story: as one corridor has become a live-fire risk for seafarers, planners sketch a Nordic-Arctic bypass that could weaken networks the U.S. relies on for leverage.

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have transformed a vital Asia-Europe trade route into a high-risk corridor, forcing rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing transit times.

Meanwhile, melting Arctic ice opens seasonal Nordic and Greenland-adjacent routes as credible hedges against chokepoint vulnerabilities,

The essay argues that U.S. strategy, rooted in the 2025 National Security Strategy, increasingly treats maritime chokepoints as levers of coercive power — evident in Panama port pressures and sanctions enforcement on tankers.

This “weaponized interdependence” prompts diversification toward alternative routes, ports, currencies, and financial systems, potentially eroding U.S.-centric maritime dominance over time.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense news from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

THE PDB – Not the President’s Daily Briefing, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

At a billion dollars a pop. Seven more countries, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt, say they will join Trump’s Board of Peace.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Marine veteran died during what base officials have described as a “security incident” at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

Or simply an attempt to identify illegal aliens. Democrat senator calls VA’s data collection of noncitizen workers a “thinly veiled effort to instill fear.” Adam Schiff is expressing alarm in a letter to VA and DHS, following a report that revealed VA was gathering data on its “non-citizen” workforce.

DEFENSE POLITICS

Lawmakers told the Pentagon they want more details about how it plans to spend the $23 billion Congress provided to support the Golden Dome in last year’s reconciliation deal.

US POWER OVERSEAS

The Army is assigning roommates to soldiers in barracks in Hawaii as it adds more troops to the region and continues renovating several aging facilities on Oahu.

GREENLAND CRISIS

Trump found his Greenland framework and backed off from threats to use military force or tariffs.

U.S. denounced French push to hold NATO-led military exercise in Greenland, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warning European nations against sending troops to the island as Trump discusses acquiring it.

Amid Greenland tensions, U.S. forces prep for NATO’s “Cold Response 26.” Thousands of U.S. Marines are deploying to Norway to begin training as President Trump’s push to control Greenland continues to unsettle European leaders.

Danish veterans of U.S.-led wars, such as in Afghanistan, say they feel betrayed by Greenland threats.

IRAN CRISIS

So, should we triple that figure? Iranian state TV issued the first official death toll from recent protests, saying 3,117 people were killed, while the foreign minister issued the most direct threat yet against the U.S. after Tehran’s bloody crackdown.

MIDDLE EAST THREATS

The F-15 squadron that took out Iranian drones launched at Israel two years ago returns to the Middle East. The 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron played a major role in what the Air Force has described as “the largest air-to-air enemy engagement in over 50 years.”

U.S. military transfers 150 Islamic State terrorist detainees who were held in northeastern Syria to Iraq to ensure they remain in secure facilities.

Syrian government forces have taken control of al-Hawl detention camp, which houses tens of thousands of suspected Islamic State terrorists and their families.

Israel kills 3 journalists, including a CBS News contributor, in a strike on their car in central Gaza. Israel’s military said it struck “several suspects” who were operating a drone.

CHINA THREAT

Communist Chinese influence. Taiwan’s $40 billion military spending plan stalled by political impasse. Domestic gridlock is revealing deep-seated fractures over how the island should defend itself and how much it can depend on the U.S.

RUSSIA THREAT/UKRAINE WAR

Trump said he will meet Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.

Russia’s heavy missile barrage directed against Ukraine on Jan. 20 appears to have involved the use of several new or unusual weapons.

Ukraine’s government-backed defense technology cluster, Brave1, has partnered with Palantir to create a platform where AI models can be tested using sensitive military data.

What would have happened if Green Berets helped Ukraine? In 2024, Brian Petit wrote, “Send in the A Team: A Graduated Response for Ukraine,” where he argued for sending Green Berets into Ukraine for training and assistance to the Ukrainian armed forces.

EUROPEAN DEFENSE

Trophy active protection systems will be integrated on Leopard 2 A8 main battle tanks of Lithuania, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Croatia under a $351 million deal with Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

US MILITARY

USS Zumwalt took to the sea for the first time in nearly three years after the installation of large missile tubes capable of fielding hypersonic strike weapons.

Army seeks acoustic detection systems to counter small drones.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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