Tiran (Arabic: جزيرة تيران) is an island belonging to Saudi Arabia at the entrance of the Straits of Tiran, which separates the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. The island is leased to Egypt, to support the presence of an observation post controlled by the Multinational Force and Observers and an Egyptian Coastal Patrol post. It is of strategic significance in the area, as it forms the narrowest section of the Straits of Tiran, which is an important sea passage to ports in Jordan and Israel: Aqaba and Eilat respectively. It is inhabited only by military personnel from Egypt and the United States. Today, it has more minefields on it than some continents. Chisholm Point is a cape of Tiran Island. Some believe that this is the biblical location where the Red Sea was parted.
External links
- Observation Post 3-11, Tiran Island, GlobalSecurity.org
- BirdLife Factsheet - Tiran Island
- Tiran Island, Tourist info
