- Spain has refused entry to a Denmark-fagged cargo ship Marianne Danica carrying arms from Chennai to the port of Haifa in Israel.
- Spain has been extremely critical of civilian casualties in Gaza and, along with Belgium, has suspended arms export licences to Tel Aviv.
- It was to make a port call at Cartegena in Spain.
- Cartagena is the Mediterranean Port of Spain located east of the Strait of Gibraltar.
- The Strait of Gibraltar lies between the southernmost tip of Spain and the northern tip of Morocco.
- At the northeastern edge of the Strait is the territory of Gibraltar, which is governed by the United Kingdom.
- The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.
- The strategic location near the East-West maritime route linking the Suez Canal to the Strait of Gibraltar
- It is 36 miles (58 km) long and narrows to 8 miles (13 km) in width between Point Marroquí (Spain) and Point Cires (Morocco).
Dig Deeper: Read about the role of UNCLOS in maintaining freedom of Navigation in critical passages of maritime trade.
