Iran Threatens Mediterranean Sea Closure Over Gaza War as Vessels Face Attacks

Many ships are avoiding traveling through the region, opting for a route via Africa, raising the cost of transportation.

Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the internationally-recognized government ride in a patrol boat in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on Dec. 12, 2023. Khaled Zia/AFP via Getty Images

Iran has threatened to shut down the Mediterranean Sea shipping waterways because of what it describes as “crimes” committed by the United States and its allies in Gaza, as Tehran-backed Houthi terrorists continue to attack merchant vessels traveling through the region.

“They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways,” said Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a general with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, according to a Dec. 23 report from Iranian state media.