Shipping companies Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA CGM are rerouting vessels around Africa, away from the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, after US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. "Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided...to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being," Danish container shipping group Maersk said in a statement on Sunday. The company last month announced a gradual return of some services to the Suez route, seen as a key step towards ending two years of global trade disruption caused by attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi terrorists. "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and take all needed actions," the company said.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 01, 2026 20:48 UTC