[NY Post] An Iranian leader threatened on Saturday to close off the Mediterranean Sea in retaliation for the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, local media outlets said.
Israel and the West "shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, [the Strait of] Gibraltar and other waterways," Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned.
The potential closure would be revenge for the United States and its allies for supporting "crimes" in the Gaza Strip as part of Israel’s retaliatory war in wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack, the military commander said.
Iran backs Hamas, as well as Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels from Yemen, but has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself — making it unclear exactly how the Guards plan to close off the vast sea.
Naqdi, however, referred to "the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways."
Over the past month, Iran has played a major role in the Houthi attacks on Israeli and ally-linked merchant vessels in the Red Sea, which have prompted some shipping companies to pause operations or alter their routes.
Earlier this week, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new partnership aimed at combating the attacks.
"The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners and violates international law," Austin said in a statement from Bahrain.
On Friday, the White House confirmed that Iran was "deeply involved" in planning the Houthi attacks. 
|
