Iran Warns Of Military Strike As U.S., Israeli Warships Cross Suez
By George Whitten, Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Chief
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (Worthy News)– Iran has warned of a military confrontation with Israel and the United States after at least eleven American warships, including an aircraft carrier, and an Israeli vessel passed through the Suez Canal, the largest fleet of ships to cross the volatile, strategic waterway, in recent years.
“We warn the U.S. and certain adventurist countries that if they are tempted to inspect Iranian air and ship cargoes, we will take tough action against their ships in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman”, said Ali Larijani, the Iranian parliamentary speaker in comments obtained by Worthy News Sunday, June 20.
Egypt allowed the ships, led by the USS Truman with 5,000 sailors and marines on board, to pass through the Suez Canal on their way to the Red Sea at a time when an Iranian flotilla approached Gaza, according to the London based, Al Quds al-Arabi, an influential Arabic-language weekly news magazine.
It said thousands of Egyptian soldiers were deployed along the Suez Canal to guard the ships passage. Egypt’s opposition reportedly criticized the government for cooperating with American and Israeli forces, but officials said Egypt is required to keep the Suez Canal open, even for warships, under international agreements.
The American-Israeli fleet was seen by analysts as a warning to Iran that it may face military action if its Iranian Red Crescent ship continues its course to Gaza, which has been surrounded by Israeli forces. Israel has made clear it wants to inspect the Iranian aid flotilla for illegal transport of weapons.
Separately, three German built Israeli submarines named Dolphin, Tekuma and Leviathan, equipped with nuclear cruise missiles were to be deployed in the gulf near the Iranian coastline, according to the Britain-based Sunday Times newspaper.
The United States and Israel have not ruled out a military strike to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.