Recently, an Iranian freighter turned heads in the news when it was hit by Israel in the Red Sea. The strike was a retaliation for past Iranian attacks on Israeli vessels. The incident involved the Iranian commercial vessel MV Saviz off the coast of Djibouti. Coinciding with this event, Iranian officials were holding discussions in Vienna to negotiate the restoration of the 2015 deal Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). This deal was intended to rein in Iran’s nuclear activities.
Understanding the Location: The Red Sea
The Red Sea is a semi-enclosed tropical basin nestled between northeastern Africa to the west and the Arabian Peninsula to the east. This elongated and narrow-shaped basin stretches between the Mediterranean Sea to the north-west and the Indian Ocean to the south-east. At its northern end, it bifurcates into the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez, linking to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. It connects to the outer Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden at the southern end via the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb. Notably, the Red Sea is surrounded by desert or semi-desert regions and lacks major freshwater inflow.
Formation and Biodiversity of the Red Sea
The current shape of the Red Sea has been formed over the last four to five million years through slow seafloor spreading, signifying it as one of the youngest oceanic zones on Earth. Today, the basin continues to widen at a rate of 1-2 cm each year. The Red Sea’s unique habitats are home to diverse marine life, including sea turtles, dugongs, dolphins and many endemic fish species. Coral reefs predominantly extend along the northern and central coasts, declining in abundance towards the southern region due to the increasing turbidity of coastal waters.
The Origin of the Name ‘Red Sea’
There are several theories about how the Red Sea got its name. The most popular theory suggests it refers to the seasonal blooms of a red-colored algae, Trichodesmium erythraeum, appearing near the water’s surface. Alternatively, others believe that the name pertains to the practice in Asiatic languages of using colors to denote cardinal directions, with “red” denoting “south”–similarly, the Black Sea could be referring to the north.
Unveiling the JCPOA
In 2015, Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers–the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany–struck a long-term deal on Iran’s nuclear programme. This agreement was christened as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) or, in layman’s terms, the Iran Nuclear Deal. This landmark deal followed prolonged tension over Iran’s alleged attempts to develop nuclear weapons. Although Iran maintained that its nuclear programme was peaceful, the international community remained skeptical. Under the JCPOA, Iran pledged to restrict its nuclear activities by halting uranium enrichment and permitting international agencies to inspect its nuclear sites in exchange for the removal of economic sanctions. However, in May 2018, the USA withdrew from the JCPOA, threatening to impose sanctions on Iran and on nations trading significantly with Iran.