An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander has warned that the Mediterranean Sea could be closed if the United States and its allies continue to commit “crimes” in Gaza. This was reported by Iranian media on Saturday, although it was not explained how that would happen. Iran backs the Hamas terrorist group against Israel and has accused the United States of backing what it calls Israeli crimes in Gaza, where weeks of bombardment have killed many people and driven most of the population from their homes.
According to Tasnim, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, stated, “They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways.” Meanwhile, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group has over the past month attacked merchant vessels sailing through the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel’s assault on Gaza, leading some shipping companies to switch routes. The White House on Friday said Iran was “deeply involved” in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself, and it was not clear how the Guards could attempt to close it off, although Mr. Naqdi talked of “the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways.” Furthermore, the only groups backed by Iran on the Mediterranean are Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist group and allied militia in Syria, at the far end of the sea from Gibraltar.