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. 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.