As tensions grow in the Gulf and Iran has been targeting US military positions, there’s another base worth noticing in Africa.
Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti is the United States’ only permanent military base on the continent. It’s positioned close to the Bab el‑Mandeb strait, a vital sea lane through which around 10 to 12 percent of global trade moves every year.

Because the strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean, disruptions there including from regional conflicts could slow shipping and push up costs for fuel and goods over a wide area.