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A senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned that the Mediterranean Sea could be closed if the United States and its allies continued to commit “crimes” in the Gaza Strip, Iranian media reported on December 23.
Iran backs the Hamas Movement that rules Gaza and it accuses the United States of supporting the Israeli war on the Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 20,000 Palestinians most of whom were reportedly women and children.
“They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways,” Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, as saying.
Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean Sea. The country is allied to the Syrian government and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, both are located far away from the Strait of Gibraltar.
“Yesterday, the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped in the Red Sea,” Naqdi was quoted as saying.
The Iranian-backed Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen attacked several ships owned by Israel or sailing to the country through the Red Sea in response to the war in Gaza, leading some of the world’s largest shipping companies to switch routes.
The White House on December 22 alleged that Iran was “deeply involved” in planning Houthi operations against ships in the Red Sea.
