Shortly after Hosni Mubarak stepped down from the Presidency of Egypt, Iran requested permission from Egypt to cross through the Suez Canal. This had not happened since the Iranian Revolution and the fall of the Shah over thirty years ago. Obviously, many people – Israel most particularly – were concerned. This would bring the Iranian military directly to Israeli shores. Iran claimed that they were passing two naval vessels through the Suez in order to bring a “message of peace and friendship” to the world.
There is still no conclusive understanding about Iran’s intentions. Debkafile has posited that Iran, who brought both of their ships to port in Syria, will be building a permanent naval base which will include a “large Iranian Revolutionary Guards weapons depot.” Should this turn out to be true, it is hard to imagine the implications. Israel is currently watching its neighborhood change in ways about which it is understandably not thrilled. Will an Iranian military base just miles from the Jewish state be more than Israel is willing to tolerate? Time will tell.
So as the title implies, Iran is already bringing ships through the Suez Canal yet again. Breathe easy though, this time they are headed out of the Mediterranean and back towards the Red Sea and presumably home. Anxieties may be high, but for the time being, crises of all nature have been averted.
One note worth postulating on is the Egyptian rationale for allowing the Iranian ships through in the first place. Clearly no Arab nation, least of all one whose future is as shaky as that of Egypt, benefits from a strengthened Iran. There are those that believe that Egypt did it to send a message to Israel that the status quo is no more. I for one do not believe that to be the case. In fact Egypt could have just as much cause for concern to have Iranian naval vessels in the region as should Israel. Cynically, opinions about the Egyptian revolution have been mixed, many concerned that what we are seeing is the Iranian Revolution 2.0, Arab edition. For Egypt to appear to be in collusion with Iran can only tarnish its own image abroad at a time when it needs friends and it knows that.
