A recent spate of attacks on ships has piled further pressure on maritime traffic, which is already grappling with an array of challenges that are hampering trade and transport. Two cargo ships sunk near the Strait of Hormuz were the latest victims of an apparent surge in Iranian attacks, while Yemen’s Houthis have sought to strangle flows through the Red Sea.
Nearby, piracy off the Horn of Africa coast has increased to its highest level since 2013, according to AFP analysis; further afield, suspected Russian drones hit two commercial ships near Bulgaria’s territorial waters. Conflict and unrest are not the only threats: Panama Canal traffic is currently congested because of drier conditions resulting from the El Niño weather pattern.
