Nigeria, Oct. 9 -- The United States-Israel February attack on Iran led to the Iran-backed Houthi militia of Yemen seizing territory at the entrance to the Red Sea, with grave potential consequences for Africa and the world.

Intensifying Houthi attacks on ships over the last few years had already hurt regional economies and beyond. But a permanent Houthi grip on shipping through the Red Sea would be catastrophic. And it would be aggravated by the growing alliance between the Houthis and al-Shabaab in Somalia.

Last month, the Houthis' capture of territory in the Red Sea gave it some veto over shipping through the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait. This strait carries about 30 per cent of global container traffic, 15 per cent of global oil a...