Key Facts
- Canal closure duration
- 8 years (1967–1975)
- Parent clearing effort
- U.S.-led multinational operation, 1974
- Sister operations
- Operation Nimbus Star, Operation Nimrod Spar
- Nature of mission
- Training and advisory for land/water EOD clearance
Strategic Narrative Overview
The U.S.-led clearing effort, launched in 1974, comprised three distinct operations. Operation Nimbus Star involved mine-sweeping by naval units from the United States, United Kingdom, and France. Operation Nimbus Moon focused on providing training and advisory assistance to Egyptian forces for land and water explosive ordnance disposal. Operation Nimrod Spar addressed the removal and salvage of wrecks obstructing the Canal, together restoring navigability to the waterway.
01 / The Origins
The Suez Canal was closed following the 1967 Six-Day War between Egypt and Israel, remaining out of service for eight years. After the Yom Kippur War of October 1973, Egypt and Israel reached a ceasefire, and an international agreement was concluded to restore the Canal to operation. The United States organized a coordinated multinational clearing effort involving naval and advisory components to address mines, wrecks, and other ordnance hazards left from years of conflict.
03 / The Outcome
The combined clearing operations successfully prepared the Suez Canal for reopening. Egyptian forces received capability-building support through Operation Nimbus Moon that enhanced their own ordnance clearance capacity. The Canal was formally reopened in 1975, restoring a critical international maritime route and marking a significant step in post-war normalization between Egypt and the wider international community following years of regional conflict.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents