Even before any retaliatory action by the Houthis over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, major shipping companies are already altering their routes in response to the growing conflict in the Middle East. Maersk has suspended plans to return its MECL service through the Red Sea, a decision mirrored by Gemini Cooperation, the operational partnership between Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd launched in 2025.
In a joint statement, the companies said that, due to the deteriorating security situation, they would pause future Trans-Suez sailings via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in coordination with security partners. French shipping giant CMA CGM issued similar guidance, instructing its vessels to reroute around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, citing crew safety and security as the top priority. MSC has issued comparable instructions.
Analysts warn that simultaneous disruption of both the Bab el-Mandeb and Strait of Hormuz would exacerbate supply chain risks, isolate Gulf ports, and force carriers to either suspend services or undertake longer, costlier routes. Antonella Teodoro, analyst at MDS Transmodal, emphasized that the region’s dependence on a narrow set of maritime corridors for exports and imports exposes the fragility of its port-centered economic model.
