The Red Sea: Next Flashpoint in the Middle East? https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/politics-current-affairs/2018/02/the-red-sea-next-flashpoint-in-the-middle-east/

February 6, 2018 | Dore Gold
About the author: Dore Gold, president of the Jerusalem Center of Public Affairs, is a former ambassador of Israel to the United Nations (1997-1999) and the author of, among other books , Hatred’s Kingdom, The Fight for Jerusalem, and The Rise of Nuclear Iran.

Fifty years ago, Egypt blocked the Straits of Tiran, thus denying Israel access to the Red Sea and precipitating the Six-Day War. Today, the Red Sea remains vital to international shipping and still holds the potential to spark conflict. That conflict, explains Dore Gold, could arise from a variety of recent developments: tensions are increasing between Egypt and Ethiopia; Iran has built up a presence in the waterway with help from the Houthis in Yemen; Turkey and China are both establishing their own footholds along the Horn of Africa. (Video, 8 minutes. Text is available at the link below.)

Read more on Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: http://jcpa.org/video/brewing-conflict-along-red-sea/