The
Straits of Tiran (
Arabic ???? ?????,
Hebrew ????? ?????), are the narrow sea passages, about 13 km (8 miles) wide, between the
Sinai and
Arabian peninsulas which separates the
Gulf of Aqaba from the
Red Sea. It is named after
Tiran Island located at its inflow, on which the
Multinational Force and Observers has an observation post to monitor the compliance of
Egypt in maintaining freedom of navigation of the straits as provided under the
Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty.
Access to Jordan's only seaport of Aqaba and to Israel's only Indian Ocean seaport of Eilat is contingent upon passage through the Gulf of Aqaba, giving the Straits of Tiran strategic importance. Egypt's blockade of the Straits to Israeli ships and ships bound for Israel in 1956 and again in 1967 was a catalyst to the Suez Crisis in 1956 and the Six-Day War in 1967.[1]
International documents inconsistently refer to both the "Straits of Tiran" and the "Strait of Tiran". There are several passages formed by the islands between Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The westernmost strait, between Egypt and the island of Tiran, overlooked by the Egyptian city Sharm el-Sheikh is the "Strait of Tiran". It has two passages deep enough to be navigable by large ships. The Enterprise passage, 950&_160;feet (290&_160;m) deep, is right next to the Egyptian side, while the 240-foot-deep Grafton passage, surrounded by shallows, is to the east, nearer to the island of Tiran. To the east of Tiran, between it and Saudi Arabia, the other strait has reefs and shallows with a single channel 54&_160;feet (16&_160;m) deep.[2]
A project to build a 9.3-mile (15.0&_160;km) bridge across the straits, linking Egypt and Saudi Arabia, is under consideration by the Egyptian government.[3]
