2 naval vessels receive Egyptian permission to sail into Mediterranean, likely en route to Syrian coast.
By REUTERSIranian officer looks at Strait of Hormuz 311 (R)(photo credit: REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi)
ISMAILIA - Two Iranian naval ships have sailed through Egypt's Suez Canal into the Mediterranean, in a move likely to be keenly watched by Israel."Two Iranian ships crossed through the Suez Canal (on Thursday) following permission from the Egyptian armed forces," a source in the canal authority said on Friday.The destroyer and a supply ship could be on their way to the Syrian coast, the source added. Iran and Syria agreed to cooperate on naval training a year ago, and Tehran has no naval agreement with any other country in the region.Two Iranian warships sailed along the strategic waterway on February 17 last year, in a move that Israel called a "provocation".Egypt's military, which has a close defense ties with the United States, has been governing the country since the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak a year ago.The Suez Canal cuts through Egypt and allows shipping to pass from the Middle East to Europe and vice versa, without going around southern Africa.Click here for full Jpost coverage of the Iranian threat
