(Al-Monitor) Ephraim Sneh - In October, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired anti-ship missiles three times at vessels near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a vital passage between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Its closure would be a serious economic blow to Egypt, Jordan and Israel. In light of this, all the states bordering the Red Sea that are susceptible to growing Iranian-sponsored activity off their shores must tighten their military cooperation. Egypt, which has one of the region's largest navies, has a vital role to play since all naval transportation to and from the Suez Canal passes through the strait. Israel, whose trade with Asia passes primarily through the threatened shipping lane, will also have to adopt special precautions and make clear the price to be paid for attacking ships headed for the Red Sea port of Eilat. Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Ephraim Sneh served as Israel's deputy minister of defense and is chair of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue at Netanya Academic College.
2016-11-09 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive