OFFLINE

Two Iranian naval vessels entered the Suez Canal on Tuesday en route to Syria, officials said, the first time in three decades that Tehran has sent military ships through the strategic waterway.

Canal officials said the ships — a frigate and a supply vessel — are expected to reach the Mediterranean later in the day.

Iran's request to send the warships through the Suez Canal came at a particularly difficult time for Egypt as the nation's new military rulers try to focus on pressing domestic issues, including restoring security after the uprising that ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.

The military rulers apparently had no choice but to grant the ships passage because an international convention regulating shipping says the canal must be open "to every vessel of commerce or of war." Egypt also cannot search naval ships passing through the waterway.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman made clear last week that the passage was seen a provocation, but Israeli officials had no immediate comment Tuesday.

iran is clearly trying to make the most out of the unrest in the region.

OFFLINE

iran is also seen to be stoking the flames in bahrain, in an effort to topple the sunni monarchy in favor of a shia regime.

OFFLINE

One thing I like about that story was that apparently the Iranian vessels were full of cadets  on a "training mission" to fight Somali pirates. Yup, are a lot of Somali pirates in the Med all right.....

OFFLINE

lol

OFFLINE

I suspect that Iran was hoping to provoke Israel or the US into attacking.  Then it would give them the moral ground to retaliate.