May 21, 1967
After UN Secretary General, U Thant removes UN troops from Sinai, Nasser announces a blockade to Israel flag ships and others bound for Israel’s southern port of Eilat. Israel views this as an act of war or aggression, since their access to goods and oil from the south, the Red Sea, and Indian Ocean is cut off. Nasser tells Israel, “..our sovereignty over the entrance to the Gulf cannot be disputed. If Israel wishes to threaten war, we tell her ‘you are welcome.’” Israel tries but fails to recruit an international flotilla to break the blockade, spilling Egypt and Israel closer to war.