1967 Egypt's blockade of the Straits of Tiran
50 years ago, on May 22, 1967, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser deployed a garrison in Sharm el-Sheikh, from where, at his request, the "blue helmets" of the UN were withdrawn. He announced a blockade of the Strait of Tiran, closing the Israeli port of Eilat. This action, along with the concentration of Arab troops near the Israeli borders, forced Israel to launch a preventive Six-Day War.