Israel says Iran warships to transit Suez for Syria

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Israel says Iran warships to transit Suez for Syria

42 mins ago

JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez

canal en route to Syria on Wednesday, Israel said, calling it a " provocation " by

the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian naval contingent described by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman

would pose no significant military threat to Israel but could spell the

closest-ever encounter by the forces of the two old foes, who are geographically

distant.

Syria is one of Israel's neighbouring enemies, whose alliance with Tehran has

grown in parallel to increased international censure of the Iranian nuclear

programme.

" Tonight, two Iranian warships are meant to pass through the Suez Canal to the

Mediterranean Sea and reach Syria, something that has not happened in many

years, " Lieberman said in a closed-door speech to Jewish leaders, a transcript

of which was issued by his office.

" To my regret, the international community is not showing readiness to deal with

the recurring Iranian provocations. The international community must understand

that Israel cannot forever ignore these provocations. "

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency had reported on January 26 that Iranian

navy cadets had been dispatched on a year-long training mission going via the

Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea and on through the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean

Sea.

" During the mission the Iranian Navy cadets are due to be trained and prepared

for defending the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against the continued

threat of attack by Somali pirates, " the Fars report said.

Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper described the Iranian ships as a MK-5

frigate and a supply vessel.

According to the daily, no Iranian naval vessels have passed through Suez since

the Islamic Republic was established in 1979, causing a bitter rift between

Tehran and Cairo.

Israel is concerned by Iranian plans to deploy warships in the Mediterranean

Sea, Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, security officials told the newspaper.

The ships now on their way would " dock at a Syrian port for a year, " said a

Israeli senior official, who added that there was no justification for Iran to

deploy warships in the Mediterranean.

Iranian ships in the Mediterranean would be in the vicinity of arch-enemy Israel

and of Lebanon, to Israel's north and home of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah

movement, and Syria.

The Suez Canal is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and

the Middle East and Asia.

" The Suez Canal does not deny any commercial ships from passing as long as we

are not in a state of war, " Ahmed El Manakhly, a member of the Suez Canal board,

said.

" For warships to pass through the canal, approval from the ministry of defense

and the ministry of foreign affairs is needed and this applies to all warships

owned by any country. "

Manakhly said the canal had not received notice so far from either the

ministries of defense or foreign affairs on any Iranian naval ship passage, but

that approval was often given just hours ahead of the passage.

" In this case as long as they (Iranians) are not conducting some sort

belligerent operation I think they would have a right to go through the canal

like any other country; they are conducting counter piracy operations in that

area, " said Commander Kraska, professor of international law at the U.S.

Naval War College.

(Additional reporting by Dina Zayed in Cairo and Saul in London;

writing by Dan ; editing by Mark Heinrich)