Green Energy
AP:
Iranian warships arrive in Syria, witness says
By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- A witness said two Iranian warships docked in Syria on Thursday, completing a voyage that has raised tensions with Israel during a time of upheaval in the Middle East.
The ships arrived at Syria's Latakia seaport, after sailing through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean - the first such trip in at least three decades. A witness confirmed the ships' arrival, but asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The chief of Iran's navy, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, said the frigate Alvand and the supply ship Kharq are in Syria for a training mission. He rejected Israeli criticism that the trip was provocative.
Iran's foray into the Mediterranean came as the Middle East was reeling from an unprecedented wave of anti-government rebellions. Some observers said the voyage through the Suez Canal was as a test of Egypt, which is the gatekeeper of the strategic waterway that links the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
Egypt's new military rulers, who took power from ousted President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, appeared to have no choice but to allow the passage. An international convention regulating shipping says the canal must be open "to every vessel of commerce or of war."
Analysts believe Iran wanted to see whether Egypt's new rulers will stick to the pro-Western line of the Mubarak government. Some said the voyage also signals that Iran is ready to come to the aid of regional allies, including Syria and Iranian proxies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Both The Funniest And Most Red Flag Story Of The Day
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Green Energy
AP:
Iranian warships arrive in Syria, witness says
By ALBERT AJI
Associated Press
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) -- A witness said two Iranian warships docked in Syria on Thursday, completing a voyage that has raised tensions with Israel during a time of upheaval in the Middle East.
The ships arrived at Syria's Latakia seaport, after sailing through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean - the first such trip in at least three decades. A witness confirmed the ships' arrival, but asked that his name not be used because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The chief of Iran's navy, Adm. Habibollah Sayyari, said the frigate Alvand and the supply ship Kharq are in Syria for a training mission. He rejected Israeli criticism that the trip was provocative.
Iran's foray into the Mediterranean came as the Middle East was reeling from an unprecedented wave of anti-government rebellions. Some observers said the voyage through the Suez Canal was as a test of Egypt, which is the gatekeeper of the strategic waterway that links the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
Egypt's new military rulers, who took power from ousted President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, appeared to have no choice but to allow the passage. An international convention regulating shipping says the canal must be open "to every vessel of commerce or of war."
Analysts believe Iran wanted to see whether Egypt's new rulers will stick to the pro-Western line of the Mubarak government. Some said the voyage also signals that Iran is ready to come to the aid of regional allies, including Syria and Iranian proxies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Both The Funniest And Most Red Flag Story Of The Day
More than several times I have written that in international strategic alliances things need not always remain as they are.We have the 1939 alliance between the USSR and Germany (which made secure the outbreak of WW2)Iran in 1953 and 1979.Egypt...
-
Newsmax: Russia Sends Warships to Syria Russia announced it has dispatched a flotilla of 11 warships to the eastern Mediterranean with some scheduled to dock in Syria. The move, reports The New York Times, would be "the largest display of Russian military...
-
Fox: Iranian warships enter Mediterranean Sea ReutersFeb. 22, 2011: An Iranian naval ship travels through the Suez Canal near Ismailia, north of Cairo.TEHRAN – Iranian ships moved through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea on Saturday, the...
-
Weasel Zippers: Report: Iranian Warships Crossed Suez Canal Packed With Advanced Weapons for Hezbollah… Still at a loss as to why Israel did nothing to stop this.GAZA, Feb 22 (KUNA) — The two Iranian naval ships which crossed the Suez Canal to the...
- Captured Iranian Arms Ship Tip Of The Iceberg Of Vast Weapons Sealift To Hizballah
Debka: Captured Iranian arms ship tip of the iceberg of vast weapons sealift to Hizballah November 4, 2009, 11:03 PM (GMT+02:00) DEBKAfile's military and intelligence sources report that a mammoth arms train has been running to Hizballah for months...