Inside Story: Why Are So Many Countries Expanding Their Presence in the Red Sea?

Turkey has signed an agreement with Sudan that will allow it to have a military presence on the Red Sea. It's the latest country to expand into the area.

The list of countries already in the region or building bases there include: Saudi Arabia, China, Israel, United Arab Emirates and the US. The US and European Union maintain regular security patrols. But the Red Sea is also one of the world's busiest maritime gateways for transporting oil. So, why is there a sudden interest in the Red Sea region?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests: Metin Gurcan - Security Analyst and Columnist for Al Monitor; James Moran - Associate Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Policy; Mamoun Abu Nowar - Retired Jordanian Air Force General