A commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said today that the Mediterranean Sea could be closed if the US and its allies continue to commit “crimes” in Gaza.

The news was reported by Iranian media, without however explaining how this could be done.

“They should soon expect the closure of the Mediterranean (Strait of Gibraltar) and other sea passages“, the Tasnim news agency reported citing Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Revolutionary Guards.

Iran backs Hamas against Israel and accuses the US of supporting what Tehran says are Israeli crimes in Gaza, where weeks of shelling have killed thousands and prompted a mass exodus of civilians. .

Yesterday, the representative of the National Security Council White House argued that Iran was involved in planning the recent attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against merchant ships in the Red Sea.

According to Adrienne Watson, “The information provided by Tehran was critical for the Houthis to target the ships. We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to prevent this dangerous behavior by the Houthis.”

The US, which has formed an international maritime security coalition in the region, is conducting “intensive consultations with its allies and partners” on how to respond to these attacks, the spokeswoman said.