Iran continues to extend its control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz while negotiations with Washington are at a standstill. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and tensions in the Red Sea are reshaping cargo trade routes, and the African continent has become a hub for the movement of global container ships.

Published on: 01/05/2026 - 14:35

This week, the war in the Middle East entered its third month, while negotiations between Tehran and Washington remain faltering.

The international economy suffered huge losses due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and tensions in the Red Sea. This situation has led to the restructuring of merchandise trade routes, and Africa has become a hub for the movement of global container ships, according to logistical and maritime sources.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the past two months forced shipping companies to search for alternative land routes to transport food and manufactured goods by truck to the coastal Gulf states, which are goods that can no longer be delivered by sea.

Read also Follow the latest developments in the war in the Middle East live on France 24

Any alternative routes for delivery to Gulf countries?

The Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah is turning into a new regional hub, with ships belonging to shipping giants such as MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and COSCO arriving through the Suez Canal. The goods are then transported by trucks via a desert road to deliver them to Gulf destinations such as Sharjah, Bahrain and Kuwait, which have been cut off from maritime navigation during the past two months.

However, “Jeddah Port is unable to accommodate all these quantities of imports, and severe congestion is looming on the horizon,” Artur Barillas de Té, co-founder of the shipping company OVRsea, explained to the French Press Agency.

Read also: From the Strait of Hormuz to the nuclear program... What are the most prominent points of difference between Iran and America?

According to Kepler Marine Traffic data, eleven container ships docked in Jeddah on Wednesday, while nine other ships were waiting, with an average wait of one and a half days before unloading their cargo, compared to 17 hours the previous week.

What other ports are approved to deliver goods to the Gulf countries?

Shipping companies announced that they are using the Emirati ports of Sohar, Khor Fakkan, and Fujairah, facilities located outside the Strait of Hormuz and connected by land to other cities in the United Arab Emirates.

The port of Aqaba in Jordan is used as a base for shipping goods to Baghdad or Basra in Iraq. A Turkish corridor also allows the transport of goods to northern Iraq.

Why do container ships between Asia to Europe avoid the Suez Canal on international trips?

This began long before the war in Iran, but is closely linked to it.

The avoidance of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Suez Canal dates back to November 19, 2023, following a first attack launched by the Houthis, allies of Iran, from the Yemeni coast on a container ship, according to what Cyclops magazine, which specializes in trade in raw materials, reported.

Kepler container market analyst Ronan Beaudet pointed out that rerouting ships has become systematic since the resumption of Houthi attacks.

Ships sail around Africa, along its eastern coast to the Cape of Good Hope to the south of South Africa, before heading north towards Europe and the Mediterranean.

“Today, 70% of shipping flows that were scheduled to pass through the Red Sea in 2023 are diverted through the Cape of Good Hope,” explained Yves Guillot, a supply chain expert at the consulting company Eviso.

According to data from the International Monetary Fund's Port Watch platform, based on global positioning system (GPS) signals from ships, the movement of container ships through the Cape of Good Hope has more than tripled in three years, while it has decreased through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal by more than half.

Between March 1 and April 24, 2026, the average number of container ships crossing the Cape of Good Hope daily reached 20, compared to only six ships during the same period in 2023.

In contrast, the movement of container ships in the Red Sea decreased sharply: from 18 daily crossings through Bab al-Mandab between March and April 2023, the average decreased to only 5 crossings after three years.

What are the repercussions?

Guillot explained that the duration of sea transport between Asia and Europe has increased by two weeks, and costs have risen as a result of the increase in fuel consumption by between 30 and 50%, and the increase in the number of ships by between 10 and 20%, to maintain the same pace of transport.

He cited the Drury Freight Price Index, pointing out that the average price for transporting a 40-foot standard container on major shipping lines rose by 14% in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, with large variations between shipping companies.

Some African ports are witnessing an increase in activity. The Moroccan port of Tangier handled 11 million TEUs in 2025 (+8.4%), according to its website.

However, Egypt lost a portion of the revenues from Suez Canal fees, which constitute a large portion of its income. According to Cyclops, in 2024 the country lost $7 billion in revenue, a drop of more than 60% compared to 2023.

France 24/AFP

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