The interim Egyptian government just cleared an Iranian frigate and a naval cargo vessel/tanker to clear Suez this weekend, the first time that has happened since 1979.
Nobody cares too much about the frigate-- it wasn't a threat to anybody back in 1979-- but the Israelis are awfully exercised about this, moreso than they would be were this merely a "face" thing with a crappy Iranian flotilla operating off their shore. The real problem is the seemingly less threatening naval cargo ship, the Kharg-- which has long been reputed to be a floating Iranian arms bazaar. If that thing gets into the Med and makes even the slightest movement towards docking in Syria or Lebanon to resupply Hizbollah, we're at minimum looking at a major international incident when Israel puts it on the bottom in a very public and loud way.
Talk about your unneeded tension risers. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Iranians take the moral victory of being cleared to transit Suez and then never entering the canal, but if they no move into the Med it's going to be a sleepless weekend for the IDF and a lot of uncomfortable questions are going to be raised about just what the interim Egyptian government is thinking.
Nobody cares too much about the frigate-- it wasn't a threat to anybody back in 1979-- but the Israelis are awfully exercised about this, moreso than they would be were this merely a "face" thing with a crappy Iranian flotilla operating off their shore. The real problem is the seemingly less threatening naval cargo ship, the Kharg-- which has long been reputed to be a floating Iranian arms bazaar. If that thing gets into the Med and makes even the slightest movement towards docking in Syria or Lebanon to resupply Hizbollah, we're at minimum looking at a major international incident when Israel puts it on the bottom in a very public and loud way.
Talk about your unneeded tension risers. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Iranians take the moral victory of being cleared to transit Suez and then never entering the canal, but if they no move into the Med it's going to be a sleepless weekend for the IDF and a lot of uncomfortable questions are going to be raised about just what the interim Egyptian government is thinking.
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