Strait of Tiran

Strait of Tiran, narrow channel, Middle East, named after Tiran Island (Saudi Arabia), around which it passes, and linking the Gulf of Aqaba to the Red Sea. The passage is bordered on the west by the Sinai Peninsula and on the east by the Saudi Arabian mainland. The Strait of Tiran provides the only access to the Israeli port of Elat at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Where the strait divides around Tiran Island, the minimum width of each channel is about 6.5 km (4 mi).