by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR
An Iranian destroyer and a supply ship sailed through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean en route to Syria. The Iranian support ship Kharg travelled a similar route on Feb. 22, 2011, on a mission Israel described as a “provocation.” PHOTO/Getty Images/Global Post
A flotilla of Iranian warships crossed the Suez Canal and docked at the Syrian port of Tartus on Saturday. Iran’s Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi said the mission displays Iran’s “might” despite 30 years of relentless sanctions.
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The influential cleric and deputy chairman of the Majlis’ (parliament’s” National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, Hossein Ebrahimi said:
“The presence of Iran and Russia’s flotillas along the Syrian coasts has a clear message against the United States’ possible adventurism. In case of any US strategic mistake in Syria, there is a possibility that Iran, Russia and a number of other countries will give a crushing response to the US.”
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Simply put, Iran’s message to Turkey and its Arab allies (which are arming and supporting the Syrian opposition) will be: “Brothers, if you keep doing this, so can we.” There is much food for thought here for these countries – especially the oil monarchies – as they gather in Tunis this coming Sunday for the first meeting of the “Friends of Syria”.
For Turkey, the Iranian warships have arrived in Syria at an awkward time. The Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that the Syrian army had captured 40 Turkish intelligence officers involved in subversive activities and over the past week Ankara has been “conducting intensive negotiations” with Damascus to secure their freedom. But the latter insists in return Turkey ending weapon transfers and infiltrations, and, furthermore, wants Iran to be the mediator. Ha’aretz noted:
Western officials fear that Iranian military presence along with Russian aid could turn Syria into a center of international friction much worse than the struggle inside Syria. They fear that the control over actions in Syria will be taken over by a Russian-Iranian “partnership” which would exclude the European Union and Turkey …
Testing times
However, Tehran is also testing the waters. Under international law, Iran enjoys the right of passage for its warships to pass through Red Sea and the Suez Canal. But Egypt’s equations with Iran remain ambivalent.
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