War on Gaza may lead to possible blockade of MED Sea: IRGC General

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Tasnim
23 Dec 2023 22:34

The IRGC warned that the West will soon face the closure of the Mediterranean Sea if war crimes on Gaza persist.

In this image released by the official website of the Iranian Defense Ministry on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Abu Mahdi naval cruise missiles are displayed in a ceremony to deliver the missiles to both the national Navy as well as Navy of the Islamic Revolution's Guard, Iran (Iranian Defense Ministry via AP)

An Islamic Revolution's Guard Corps (IRGC) General issued on Saturday a formal warning to the US and its allies, that if they continue committing "crimes" in the Gaza Strip there could be a potential blockade of the Mediterranean Sea by "new resistance forces."

"If the crimes continue, the US and its allies have to wait for new resistance forces to arise and the remaining roads and paths to them to be closed. Yesterday, the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea have trapped them, and with the continuation of these crimes, they will soon have to wait for the closure of the Mediterranean Sea," IRGC commander Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi was quoted as saying by Iranian news agency Tasnim.

Since the start of the war on Gaza, the Yemeni resistance has stated multiple times that it is compelled to seize all Israeli-linked commercial ships or Israeli-owned ships due to the Gaza genocide.

On Monday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a multinational operation to secure the Red Sea in response to increased attacks on cargo ships. Participating nations include the UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain. The Yemeni resistance vowed to attack any ships joining the US-led maritime coalition.

White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on Friday accused Iran of being "deeply involved" in planning operations against vessels in the Red Sea. Iran has rejected these accusations, denying any involvement in the Yemeni operations.

During a press conference on Friday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the spillover effects of the war on Gaza are already happening.

"The spillover is already happening," he told reporters.