Ismailia: Two Iranian naval ships entered the Suez Canal on Tuesday and were heading towards the Mediterranean, a canal official said, a move certain to anger Israel.
"They entered the canal at 5.45am," the official told Reuters. No other details were immediately available. The Suez Canal cuts through Egypt and allows shipping to pass from the Middle East to Europe and vice versa without circumnavigating the southern tip of Africa.
The canal's northern mouth, Port Said, is around 100km from Israel, but the ships' route to Syria, their intended destination, would take them parallel to the Israeli coast. The vessels are a frigate and a supply ship.
Israel on Tuesday urged world powers to respond "firmly" after two Iran warships began sailing through the Suez Canal en route to the Mediterranean, in what the Jewish state said was a provocation.
"We are talking about an unprecedented Iranian military presence in the Mediterranean, and that is a provocation to which the international community must react firmly," foreign ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP.
Situational assessments
Quoting unnamed senior officials, public radio said Israel knew where the ships were and was holding situational assessments with US officials. The radio also said Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu had discussed the matter with US Ambassador to Israel, James Cunningham.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously said he would take 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.
Iran appears to be testing the state of affairs in the Middle East after the fall of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. A long-standing peace treaty with Egypt is crucial to Israel's regional security. Israel is anxious about political upheaval in Egypt and other Arab states aligned with its ally the United States.
Polls in Egypt suggest most of the main political forces will be less compliant with Israel and its ally the United States, although no group has called for the abrogation of the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty.
A recent Israeli war game concluded it would boost military preparations but avoid confrontation.
