JERUSALEM – Two Iranian warships planned to sail through the Suez Canal en route to Syria yesterday, Israel said, calling it a “provocation” by the Islamic Republic.
The Iranian naval contingent described by Israeli 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 enemies.
Oil prices surged on the news, helped by Middle East jitters over clashes in Iran, Yemen and Bahrain that raised concern about disruption to oil flows.
Syria is one of Israel’s neighbouring enemies. It has an alliance with Iran which has deepened along with Tehran’s isolation from the West over its disputed nuclear ambitions. “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,” Mr Lieberman said in a closed-door speech to Jewish leaders. “To my regret, the international community is not showing readiness to deal with the recurring Iranian provocations.”
Mr Lieberman, a far-right partner in prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s conservative coalition, called for world powers “to act soon and . . . put the Iranians in their place”. Signalling reluctance to deal with the Iranian warships alone, defence minister Ehud Barak said Israel had alerted “friendly nations in the region”.
The Obama administration, trying to ride a wave of political upheaval in the Middle East, said it was aware of the Iranian warships but made no further comment.
The Suez is a vital commercial and strategic waterway between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. “The Suez Canal does not any commercial ships from passing as long as we are not in a state of war,” said Ahmed el-Manakhly, a member of Egypt’s Suez canal board.
He said warships of any country needed approval to pass from Egypt’s defence and foreign ministries. Neither ministry had sent word as yet of an Iranian request.
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported last month that navy cadets were going on a year-long training mission into the Red Sea and through Suez to the Mediterranean. – (Reuters)