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Iranian Suez-bound warships delayed 48 hours

Published time: February 20, 2011 17:38
Edited time: February 21, 2011 14:13
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Two Iranian warships have been delayed entry into Egypt's Suez Canal by 48 hours. This comes after Israel and the US expressed strong concerns over the dispatch.

­The ships were initially due to sail the canal at 6.00 Monday morning en route to the Mediterranean and further on to Syria. The permission was gained from Egypt’s authorities on Friday.

The ships, a frigate and a supply ship, will be the first Iranian war vessels to navigate the waters since the country's Islamic Revolution in 1979. The BBC reports that Iran plans to send its navy forces to the Mediterranean Sea for a year with the purpose of intelligence and information collection.

Iranian TV announced on Sunday that the ships had already passed through the canal, which was later refuted by the canal’s administration.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he viewed Iran's dispatch of the ships “with utmost gravity.” He regarded it as an attempt by Teheran to exploit the current situation in the Middle East to extend its regional influence.

Israel and Iran broke off diplomatic relations 30 years ago. Israel is concerned that the fleet might be used against it and, moreover, that Tehran is already supplying its neighbors with weapons and is building a nuclear arsenal at home preparing to assault Israel.

The ships have already arrived at the gate of the Suez Canal and have reportedly been searched by Egyptian officials who have not found anything suspicious on board.

The reasons why Egypt’s authorities gave permission for the Iranian ships to sail through the canal still remain unclear. Israel is concerned that more ships might gain the same right in the future.

Comments (11)

thomas (unregistered) 19.02.2012 16:01

no one can stop a country using the suez canal not even the zionist entidy and i wish people would stop calling it a jewish state it is no such thing it is an apartheid state and calling it anything different wont make it so,netenyaboo is a terrorist leiberman is a terrorist as a matter of fact they are all terrorists and assassins it is time that countries took out international warrents on these war criminals and torturers,i would not be surprised if they had a gas chamber somewhere for as far as i can see they have everything else.

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The Beak 18.02.2012 16:21

The Suez is an international water way managed by Egypt. Egypt acquired this right of management by the great struggle of Gamel Abdel Naseer. Since his passing Egypt has been placed in harness and lost its right to pursue it national objective. Egypt is now in tears crying for the return of another nationalist such as Naseer. How glory were those days. Are they any in all Egypt? Its time Egypt sheds its chained harness and return to the world stage with a elected Civlian Govt. The Arab League needs to be dissolved as a servant of the West. Nationalism should be order of the day in the emerging Multi-Polar international system. There is nothing to fear Egypt, but fear itself.

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Sam 22.02.2011 18:39

Pamela said "Islam's history is nothing but about conquest" now whose history is not? May I remind her of how many crusades there had been, and not only against Muslims but also fellow christians,ever heard about the northern crusades against the orthodox church? We Christians had fared no better. With the history of colonisation.In the colonies there is a saying which is the same from Africa to Asia to South America. "First come the priests then come the soldiers" So lets not point fingers. Back to the topic, I do believe the canal is Egyptian and free movement is allowed in it. Is Israel afraid that Iran will invaded them with only two ships?

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