Two Iranian warships entered the Suez Canal on Tuesday morning, according to media reports. The two vessels are on their way to Syria. It is the first time since the 1979 Islamic revolution that Tehran has sent military ships through the waterway, which connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and is managed by Egypt.
Canal officials said the frigate and a supply vessel are expected to reach the Mediterranean Sea later on Tuesday. Last week, Israel made it clear that it views the passage as a provocation. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said: "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." On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his Cabinet that Israel viewed "with utmost gravity" Iran's plans to send two warships through the Suez Canal. "I think that today, we can see what an unstable region we live in, a region in which Iran tries to exploit the situation that has been created in order to expand its influence by passing warships through the Suez Canal," Netanyahu pointed out.
The Iranian ships are reportedly headed for a training mission in Syria. The ships paid about US$ 300,000 in fees for the passage. Iran's request stated the vessels would not have any military equipment, nuclear materials or chemicals on board.
