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Saturday, February 19, 2011

Iran Ships Not Yet Allowed to Pass Suez

In the ongoing saga of an Iranian frigate trying to pass the Suez into the Mediterranean Sea, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority announced today that it has not yet issued permission to the frigate IRINS Alvand and its replenishment ship Kharg to enter the Mediterranean.

"The two ships have not yet reached the southern entrance of the Canal and are not even in the waiting area," a Canal official told Reuters. "The approval may reach us at any moment and the Suez Canal will agree to their passage immediately after the approval has been received."

International news agencies including CNN had reported yesterday that the ships were passing through the canal on their to the Mediterranean.

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5 comments:

  1. Don CoxFebruary 19, 2011 at 1:53 PM

    "International news agencies including CNN had reported yesterday that the ships were passing through the canal"

    International News Agencies seem to give only a very rough approximation of what actually happens.

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 19, 2011 at 6:55 PM

    Actually according to Reuters

    http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/19/uk-egypt-iran-canal-idUKTRE71I3QO20110219

    Iran naval ships are scheduled to cross the Suez Canal on Monday.

    As a result of this point scoring the price of crude has gone up by 1.8% and conversly Dolar has been running weakest against major currecies. One warship on its own does not make sense. However, it projects soft power of Iran as a game influncer.

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  3. Gifted oneFebruary 19, 2011 at 8:29 PM

    "ongoing saga"?
    Hardly. More like media driven hype. As if Iran, Syria, or Lebanon needed a couple of vintage vessels in the Suez to consolidate their alliance. This is theatre, nothing more, a scaled down version of USN aircraft carriers steaming into the Persian Gulf.
    Also Mark should stop flattering Galrahn whose hyperbolic imagination is running overtime.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mark PyruzFebruary 19, 2011 at 10:16 PM

    I like Galrahn's blog. I don't always agree with him but he's a good thinker.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Atlanta RoofingFebruary 21, 2011 at 1:57 AM

    Are you purposely ignoring the fact that the two ships can carry cargo, in spite of their age? Cargo that could create all kinds of mischief. It's hard to take your comments seriously when you ignore all of the different ways these two old ships could actually trigger hostilities or war. No one is saying these ships will trigger a war. But thoughtful people all understand that these two ships could trigger one.

    ReplyDelete