Tiran Island
Tiran (Arabic جزيرة تيران ) is an island in the Gulf of Aqaba. It belongs, together with the neighboring island east Sanafir to the province of Tabuk Saudi Arabia, but is leased to Egypt.
Geography
The island is part of the Strait of Tiran and their namesake. Today it is one of about 80 km ² island to Ras Mohammed National Park. The island is something ( Ra's al Qaşbah, 6.9 km ) (, 6.1 km Sinai Peninsula ) further away from the Saudi Arabian mainland of Egypt. The highest point is Jabal Tiran in the south of the island. The neighboring island Sanafir lies 2.8 km east of Tiran, of these separated by the Straits Halq Qarūsh al. Between the two lies the island reef Sha'b Abū Tinun.
The geostrategic importance lying island, which is located at the entrance of the Gulf of Aqaba, provides control over the Israeli port city of Eilat and the Jordanian port of Aqaba. Currently only members of the Egyptian military and the Multinational Force and Observers, MFO stationed on the island, a 1,900 -strong crew. The definitive sovereignty over the island of Tiran is aware of Egypt and Saudi Arabia in the dark leave due to the aforementioned geostrategic importance of the Straits of Tiran as the only access to the Red Sea Israel. Egypt's occupation of the island and the subsequent blockade of the Straits of Tiran on May 22, 1967, the casus belli for Israel in the Six-Day War.
History
By the 6th century, the island was inhabited by the Jewish community Iotabe.
Israel occupied the island during the Suez crisis, and from 1967 to 1982 as a result of the Six Day War.
The island is accessible to tourists and a popular diving area.
Tiran to be part of a planned Saudi- Egyptian motorway link.