CLOSING HORMUZ & BAB AL MANDEB - COULD STRESS EAST WEST SHIPPING

Yemen conflict brings Bab el-Mandeb shipping traffic to near standstill as Iran said Thursday it struck a Togo-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz after the vessel attempted what it called an “illegal passage.”

In a statement carried by the official IRNA news agency, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said the ship had been “incited and deceived” by the US military and then hit as it sought to cross the waterway overnight.

“Last night the offending tanker Trend, flying the flag of Togo, intended to pass illegally through the Strait of Hormuz after being incited and deceived by the child-killing American army,” the statement said. “It was struck and stopped after a fire broke out.”

The IRGC Navy said its sailors still held the strategic channel and would block any force it described as an aggressor.

It repeated a warning to shipowners and crews. “Illegal passage through the Strait of Hormuz will achieve nothing other than the destruction of the offending vessel,” the navy said.

LAMU PORT RECIEVES BIGGER SHIP

Mv Baltimore at Lamu Port, Kenya

Lamu Port has recorded history, becoming the first port in East and Central Africa to receive the largest vessel ever to dock in the region.

The vessel at the center of this milestone is the MV Baltimore Express, a massive 369-meter container ship operated by German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd, which pulled into port on Sunday evening from Oman's Salalah Port.

“In a historic feat, the Port of Lamu on Sunday evening welcomed the largest vessel ever to dock at any Port in East and Central Africa,” stated KPA (Kenya's Port Authority)

The port sits in a naturally deep harbour with a depth of 17.5 meters, allowing even the largest ships in the world to sail straight in with little to no seabed clearance, something most African ports simply cannot offer.

This record is not an isolated incident, as per KPA. In August 2025, a sister vessel, the MV Nagoya Express, a 335-meter container ship, set the previous record at Lamu.

Many competing ports across Africa spend heavily on dredging just to keep their seabeds deep enough for large ships. 

Lamu Port's advantages over the other ports have enabled it to handle over 120 vessels since the start of 2026, with more expected in the coming days. KPA is also investing in new cranes, terminal tractors, and other equipment, expected later this year, to further position the port for greater milestones.

CMA CGM SHIPPING LINE TO EXPAND MOMBASA PORT- KENYA

 

French shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM is set to invest 700 million euros (Ksh106 billion) to modernise and expand terminals at the Port of Mombasa under a new agreement signed with the Kenyan government.

The investment deal was announced on Monday, May 11, during the ongoing Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi in the presence of President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The project will focus on renovating and upgrading two terminals at the Port of Mombasa as part of efforts to strengthen Kenya’s transport and logistics infrastructure.

CMA CGM said the partnership is aimed at expanding port capacity, modernising freight management systems and improving inland logistics networks linking Kenya to the wider East and Central African region.