"If Iran tries to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, I am convinced that it will have to deal with an international coalition that is determined not to allow it. This coalition will include the State of Israel with all its military might," Netanyahu said at a graduation ceremony at a naval school.
Earlier, Iran warned about the possibility of blocking oil supply routes through the Hormuz Bay, which connects the Persian Gulf with the Arabian Sea. However, the Iranian authorities did not mention the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
The statement followed the halt of military operations in the Red Sea by the Yemeni Houthi movement, after a similar move by the Saudi authorities, which suspended the oil transportation across the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden until the security situation in the region improves.
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Israel and Iran have a long history of trading accusations against each other. Tel Aviv repeatedly blames Tehran for the alleged military presence in Syria and the alleged development of nuclear weapons, claiming that Iran is trying to undermine Israeli security. Tehran denies the allegations, claiming that it is only sending military advisors and humanitarian aid to the Arab Republic. Iran, in its turn, refuses to recognize the state of Israel.
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