'Iran brushes off Israeli threats'

The Khark vessel transits through the Suez Canal on February 22, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166783.html

Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari has downplayed Israel's threats against Iran, saying Tehran will pursue its plans irrespective of Tel Aviv's threats.

“The Zionist regime (Israel) may have caused concern for itself… but we will implement our plans regardless of the regime and in coordination with friend countries in the region,” IRNA quoted Sayyari as speaking to reporters in the Syrian capital city of Damascus on Wednesday.

He made the remarks after two Iranian ships, Khark and Alvand, docked at a Syria port following their passage through the Suez Canal, a strategic international shipping route in Egypt, for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979.

The 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark has 250 crewmembers and can carry three helicopters.

Sayyari said the two Iranian warships docked in Syria's Lattakia Port “on a routine and friendly visit and carry the message of peace and friendship to world countries.”

The Iranian commander refuted involvement of the ships in any military exercise and noted that the two vessels are on a long-term training mission.

Sayyari noted that the Egyptian government has authorized the passage of the two ships through the Suez Canal and added that they are currently sailing in the Mediterranean Sea.

The Egyptian official news agency, MENA, reported on Friday that Cairo had "agreed to allow the two Iranian warships to transit the Suez Canal."

Israel, however, has placed its Navy on alert, branding the naval movement as a cause for 'concern' and an act of provocation.

On Tuesday, Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi said that Israel has been outraged by the passage of the two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal.

“The Zionist regime was shocked by the presence of Iran's naval ships in the Suez Canal and this is the reason that the regime has made propagandas on the matter over recent days,” he added.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed concerns over the passage of the two Iranian ships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

"Israel views with gravity this Iranian initiative and other developments that reinforce what we have said in past years about Israel's security needs," he claimed in a statement released by his office.

"Today we are witnessing the instability of the region in which we live and in which Iran is trying to profit by extending its influence by dispatching two warships to cross the Suez Canal," added the premier.

The United States -- the most influential NATO member -- has also announced that it will be "watching carefully to see where these ships go and the implications of that."

'Israel shocked by Iran ships in Suez'

An Iranian Alvand class frigate

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/166604.html

A senior Iranian army commander says Israel has been outraged by the passage of two Iranian warships through the Suez Canal for the first time since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in the country.

“The Zionist regime (Israel) was shocked by the presence of Iran's naval ships in the Suez Canal and this is the reason that the regime has made propaganda in this regard over recent days,” Iran's Deputy Army Commander Brigadier General Abdul-Rahim Mousavi told IRNA on Tuesday.

“The global arrogance should know that Iran's Army is fully ready to defend the ideals of the Islamic Republic,” he added.

The Iranian commander also noted that after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, many countries believed that Iran's Army would stop activities after a few months but all plots by arrogant powers have been foiled.

“Today, Iran's Army is among the strongest armies in the region and the world,” he emphasized.

General Mousavi further pointed out that Iran has constantly made efforts to increase its military capabilities as it always predicted the ongoing events in the region and the globe.

The remarks came on the same day that two Iranian vessels, Khark and Alvand, crossed the Suez Canal, a strategic international shipping route in Egypt, and were heading towards the Mediterranean Sea.

The 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand is armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-ton supply vessel Khark has 250 crewmembers and can carry three helicopters.

Iran's Navy has announced that dispatching Iranian warships to the Mediterranean is aimed at strengthening friendly relations with other countries and conveying Iran's message of peace and security in international waterways.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed concerns over the passage of the two Iranian ships through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean.

"Israel views with gravity this Iranian initiative and other developments that reinforce what we have said in past years about Israel's security needs," he claimed in a statement released by his office.

"Today we are witnessing the instability of the region in which we live and in which Iran is trying to profit by extending its influence by dispatching two warships to cross the Suez Canal," added the premier.

Iranian navy ships enter Suez Canal

The naval vessels are the first from Iran to transit through the waterway since the country's 1979 Islamic revolution.


The canal is a vital global trading route and major source of revenues for the Egyptian authorities

Source: Al Jazeera
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/02/201122244215758692.html

Two Iranian naval ships have entered Egypt's Suez Canal and are heading towards the Mediterranean, a canal official said.

"They entered the canal at 5:45am," the official told Reuters news agency on Tuesday.

The two vessels, Alvand, a patrol frigate and Kharg, a supply ship, are the first naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, after which diplomatic ties between Egypt and Iran were strained.

Egypt's ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic challenge since taking power on February 11, approved the vessels' passage through the canal.

The canal is a vital global trading route and a major source of revenue for the Egyptian authorities.

Israel takes a "grave view" of the passage of the ships.

On Sunday, after a weekly meeting of his cabinet, Binyamin Netanyahu , Israeli prime minister denounced the ships' arrival in the region as an Iranian power play.

And last week, the prospect of the Suez crossing was described by Avigdor Lieberman, Israel's far-right foreign minister, as a "provocation" by Iran.

But an Iranian diplomat said that, "This will be a routine visit, within international law, in line with the co-operation between Iran and Syria, who have strategic ties.

"The ships will spend a few days in Syrian ports for training purposes, having already visited several countries including Oman and Saudi Arabia," the diplomat added.

The decision was a difficult one for Egypt's interim government as Cairo is an ally of the United States and has a peace treaty with Israel.

However, Egypt's official MENA news agency has reported that the request for the ships to transit the canal was granted because they were not carrying weapons or nuclear and chemical materials.

The 1,500-tonne Alvand is normally armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, while the larger 33,000-tonne Kharg has a crew of 250 and facilities for up to three helicopters, Iran's official Fars news agency said.