For the first time, Iranian warships have passed through the Suez Canal since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iranian officials have stated the two Iranian warships are heading to Syria for training. The Suez Canal is a ship canal located in Egypt and used as a major navigational route linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea thus eliminating the grueling circumvention of Africa. The Egyptian Defense Ministry has reported the two vessels would have no military equipment, nuclear materials, or chemicals on board. At the center of attention is whether this deployment is seen to demonstrate diplomatic significance or actually pose a significant threat to the Israeli Navy or US vessels in the Mediterranean. The latter is unlikely, as the standards of the Iranian Navy are light years from the sophistication of both the Israeli Navy missile boats and US Navy's warships. Some believe the deployment to be a direct response to the upheavals in the Middle East and Northern Africa. However, a semi-official Iranian news agency had reported this year-long training mission through the Suez and the Mediterranean well before the protests in Tunisia and Egypt toppled their respective regimes. But that does not mean Israel is not be concerned. Israel has described the deployment as provocative and in particular destabilizing. Israel has had an long confrontational history with Iran as a result of Iran's controversial nuclear program, development of ballistic missiles, support for Lebanese and Palestinian militant groups, and Tehran's repeated anti-Israeli rhetoric. For Israel and its main ally - the US - this deployment sends multiple signals and represents another clear sign of Tehran's widening strategic horizons. Thus, this act demonstrates Iran's pursuit of diplomatic significance in the region and its tendency to demand respect from the West.
BBC News - February 22, 2011
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12533803
-Dennie Whitlow
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