The islands of Tiran and Sanafir, at the center of historical disputes, remain strategic for trade and security in the Red Sea today, as well as a symbol of new regional balances.
Long a subject of contention between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, the Tiran and Sanafir islands have significant geopolitical importance for many countries in the region.
Geographically, their location is strategic: they lie at the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, a crucial passage connecting the ports of Eilat, Israel, and Aqaba, Jordan, to the Red Sea.
Thus, one can already understand their importance for the first two parties: for the Jordanian kingdom, in fact, Aqaba is the only port it owns, the country being largely landlocked; for Israel, on the other hand, control of the islands has been of strategic importance, especially during the conflicts with the Arab states. However, the signing of peace agreements with Egypt and the subsequent beginning normalization of relations with Saudi Arabia transformed the area into one surrounded by countries now considered allies or at least not hostile.