Strategic waterways in danger: Iran and Yemen's threats extend beyond the Red Sea

"Do Not Pass," a familiar traffic sign on roads, is now being enforced on the seas.

All Israeli vessels bound for Israel are prohibited from passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since these waters became a target for Yemeni Houthi weeks ago to pressure Israel to cease its aggression in Gaza and allow aid to enter.

This restriction may not only apply to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Still, it could potentially affect the Mediterranean Sea and other straits, as an Iranian Revolutionary Guard leader warned. The closure of these waterways on the map could jeopardize global maritime traffic.

Geographically, Iran stands at the Strait of Hormuz, located between it and the Sultanate of Oman, and is considered a lifeline for Gulf countries.

At the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Houthis, Iran's allies, control ship movements. Iran's threat to close the Strait of Gibraltar, situated between Spain and Morocco, opens the door to a strait war. Several countries use this strait to avoid the Red Sea and reach the Mediterranean Basin.

Consequently, its closure would turn the Mediterranean Sea and its basin into an isolated region, as the entrances are through two straits: the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bab el-Mandeb to the Suez Canal.

How can Iran close the Strait of Gibraltar, given its geographical distance?

Some analysts suggest that Iran leverages its diplomatic ties with North African countries, notably Algeria and the Polisario Front, which seeks independence in Western Sahara.

The Moroccan ambassador to the United Nations asserts that Iran and Hezbollah operate in the Tindouf region in southern Algeria and North Africa, training and arming the Polisario. All of these threats to close waterways might be carried out by Iran.

These threats of closing maritime passages have evolved from the Gaza war to a broader strait-threatening conflict.

Will the situation escalate further?