After Hormuz, Houthi seizure of Bab el-Mandeb adds a second supply-chain risk for Tunisia

Tunisian imports from Asia already face higher costs from the Strait of Hormuz disruption, and the Houthi capture of Perim island in the Bab el-Mandeb strait now threatens a second, separate route: the corridor linking Asia to the Mediterranean via the Red Sea and Suez. If more shipowners reroute around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea, goods imported from Asia would face longer delays and higher freight, fuel and insurance costs; tanker freight rates between the Gulf of Oman and China have already hit record levels.

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