Nigeria, Sept. 18 -- Ongoing conflict in the Middle East exposes shifting regional geopolitical fault lines that are pulling African states into an emerging macro-conflict system anchored along the Red Sea.

This stems from several overlapping crises arising from US and Israeli military offensives against Iran and renewed Houthi attacks on shipping lanes, Saudi-Emirati competition across the Horn of Africa, and disputes amongst African states over sovereignty and regional influence.

Should these crises deepen and become self-reinforcing, the implications for African states across much of the Red Sea littoral could be dire.

The most recent US and Israeli offensive against Iran has added to these dynamics. Iran's retaliatory offensives ag...