By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 4:37 PM on 22nd February 2011
Two Iranian ships travelled through the Suez Canal on Tuesday and were heading towards Syria, a canal official said.
Canal officials said the ships - a frigate and a supply vessel - had reached the Mediterranean Sea by about 4 p.m. local time.
Israel said it takes a 'grave view' of the passage of the ships - the first Iranian naval vessels to go through the canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution.
Provocative: An Iranian naval ship travels through the Suez Canal near Ismailia, the first of the country's vessels to enter the canal in over 30 years
Egypt's ruling military council, facing its first diplomatic headache since taking power on February 11, approved the vessels' passage through the canal, a vital global trading route and major source of revenues for the Egyptian authorities.
The vessels are the 1,500-ton patrol frigate Alvand and the 33,000-ton support ship the Khark, according to Iranian satellite station Press TV.
The frigate is said to be armed with torpedoes and anti-ship missiles while Khark has a crew of 250 and is capable of carrying three helicopters.
The Iranian ships are headed for a training mission in Syria, a close ally of Iran's hard-line Islamic rulers and an arch foe of Israel.
In Syria, officials at the Iranian embassy said it would mark the first time in years that Iranian naval vessels dock in a Syrian port.
The Iranian embassy said it would mark the first time in years that Iranian naval vessels dock in a Syrian port.
The ships paid about $300,000 in fees for the passage, according to a Maritime agent. The officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
The decision to allow the ships' passage was a difficult one for Egypt's interim government. Cairo is an ally of the United States, has a peace treaty with Israel, and its relations with Iran have been strained for more than three decades.
Approved: An Iranian warship is pictured on the Suez Canal after Egyptian authorities allowed two Iranian warships to pass through the Suez Canal
Last week, the prospect of the Suez crossing was described by Israel's far-right foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, as a provocation by Iran.
Israel's state-funded Channel One television said later Lieberman, a stridently far-right partner in the conservative coalition, had spoken out of turn and the Defence Ministry 'had preferred to ignore' the ships' approach.
Israel considers Iran a threat because of its disputed nuclear program, ballistic missile development, support for militants in the region and its threats to destroy Israel.
While Israel has pressed for international sanctions to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons, it has not taken the possibility of a military strike off the table
Egypt's Western allies are watching for hints of any shift in policy towards its Middle East neighbours since the interim government took power, especially Israel with which it has a peace treaty.
To navigate the strategic waterway, naval vessels needed the approval of Egypt's Foreign and Defence Ministries.
There was no immediate comment from Israel after approval was given for the Iranian ships to pass through the canal.
Egypt's military said the request stated the Iranian ships did not carry military equipment or nuclear or chemical cargo. It said the ships were in the Red Sea, at the canal's southern end.
uh oh!!
- richie, cardiff, 22/2/2011 14:44
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