US ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz warned that strategic maritime chokepoints including the Strait of Gibraltar could face future conflict pressure, extending concerns raised by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Waltz made the remarks as tensions escalated around Hormuz, accusing Iran of threatening global shipping flows and warning against any attempt to use narrow sea passages as leverage over international trade. Reports in Spanish media cited him referencing Gibraltar alongside Hormuz and Malacca as part of that warning.
The Strait of Hormuz remains the immediate focus of US concern, as disruptions there have heightened risks to energy supplies and commercial shipping.
The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors, with around 100,000 ships transiting the passage each year, or roughly 300 vessels a day, carrying more than 10% of global maritime trade.
The narrow channel, about 14 kilometers wide at its tightest point, is the only maritime gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, making it a critical route for commercial and naval traffic.
The remarks come amid strain between Washington and Madrid over Spain’s position on US-linked military actions in the Gulf.
Gibraltar has traditionally been viewed as stable compared with routes in the Gulf, but its role as a high-volume transit point means any disruption would have immediate effects on shipping flows between Europe, North Africa and transatlantic routes.
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