The Straits of Tiran

The Straits of Tiran are the narrow sea passages, about 3 miles wide, formed by the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. Access to Israel's seaport of Eilat and Jordan's only seaport of Aqaba is contingent upon passage through the Gulf of Aqaba, giving the Straits of Tiran strategic importance. This proved pivotal in the Arab-Israeli conflict during the twentieth century, notably the Six-Day War in 1967. It is named after the island Tiran located at its inflow, on which the Multinational Force and Observers has an observation post. Sanafir island lies to the east of Tiran, southeast of the shallow strait between Tiran and Saudi Arabia. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (996x1264, 198 KB)Map of the Straits of Tiran. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (996x1264, 198 KB)Map of the Straits of Tiran. ... Sinai Peninsula, Gulf of Suez (west), Gulf of Aqaba (east) from Space Shuttle STS-40 Sinai redirects here. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Sinai Peninsula, with the Gulf of Aqaba (east) and the Gulf of Suez (west), as viewed from the Space Shuttle STS-40. ... Conshelf II in the Red Sea (Sudan) Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea (Arabic البحر الأحمر Baḥr al-Aḥmar, al-Baḥru l-’Aḥmar; Hebrew ים סוף Yam Suf; Tigrigna ቀይሕ ባሕሪ QeyH baHri) is a gulf or basin of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Categories: Stub | Commercial item transport and distribution | Transportation ... Eilat (Hebrew אֵילַת, Standard Hebrew Elat, Eylat), pop. ... Aqaba (Arabic: العقبة al-ʻAqabah) is a coastal town with a population of 62,773 (1994) in the far south of Jordan (29. ... Israel (in Blue) and the Arab League states (in Green) The Arab-Israeli conflict is a long-running conflict in the Middle East regarding the existence of the state of Israel and its relations with Arab states and with the Palestinian population (see Israeli-Palestinian conflict. ... The Six-Day War (Hebrew: מלחמת ששת הימים transliteration: Milhemet Sheshet Hayamim), also known as the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Six Days War, or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tiran is an island at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba belonging to Saudi Arabia. ... The Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) is an international peacekeeping force. ...

International documents inconsistently refer to 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 feet deep, is right next to the Egyptian side, while the 240 feet 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 feet deep. View of the Red Sea and Tiran Island from the Sheraton Sharm hotel Sharm el-Sheikh (شرم الشيخ, also transliterated as Sharm ash Shaykh), often known simply as Sharm, is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in Janub Sina, Egypt, on the coastal strip between the Red... Tiran is an island at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba belonging to Saudi Arabia. ...