Iran’s Blockade Reshapes Africa-Oriented Maritime Routes

The Strait of Hormuz has been closed for two months, leading shipowners to seek alternative land routes for delivering goods by truck instead of sea. The Saudi port of Jeddah on the Red Sea is becoming a new regional hub where ships from major carriers like MSC and Maersk arrive via the Suez Canal. Cargo then travels by truck along desert highways to destinations such as Sharjah, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Three ports outside the Strait of Hormuz – Oman’s Sohar, UAE’s Khorfakkan and Fujairah – are also being used for rerouting ships. The port of Aqaba in Jordan is serving as a base for goods heading to Baghdad and Basra in Iraq, while Turkey provides an alternative corridor into northern Iraq.

International container ship routes avoid the Suez Canal due to conflict tensions. Ships bypass the Red Sea from Bab al-Mandeb Strait to the Suez Canal, following Africa’s eastern coast past the Cape of Good Hope before returning north towards Europe and the Mediterranean.

According to PortWatch data, traffic via the Cape of Good Hope has more than tripled in three years, while traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait has fallen by over half. Transport times have increased by two weeks on average, and costs have risen due to fuel consumption and additional ships needed for service frequency.

The impact varies: some African ports see increased activity, like Tanger Med Port Authority handling 11 million standard containers in 2025 up from the previous year. However, Egypt lost significant toll revenues from the Suez Canal, resulting in a $7 billion loss compared to 2023.