Israeli President rejects passage of Iranian ships through Suez as provocation while media says Iran celebrating Mubarak’s downfall

One day after two Iranian ships have entered the Mediterranean for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Israeli President Shimon Peres rejected on Wednesday the move as a "political provocation."

The Kharg, a supply ship, and the Alvand patrol frigate sailed through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean on Tuesday on their way to Syria in what Tehran has described as a routine visit.

"I don't look upon it as a major event. I think it is a political provocation. You have to keep cool, you should not become nervous because two ships are crossing the Suez," Peres told a conference in Madrid. "They are following the instructions of the Egyptians. Let them cross."

Egypt's ruling military council, which has been running the country since long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak was forced to quit on February 11 following massive street protests against his government, approved the ship's passage through the waterway, a vital global trading route. In response, Israel put its navy on alert.

The Suez Canal Authority said last week that ships of any nationality can pass through "as long as the country is not in a state of war with Egypt."

"This is a cheap provocation by Iran. The passage of the ships does not in itself present a threat on our region, but the real threat, clear as a warning light, is to Europe and the entire world," Peres claimed in his speech.

"Iran is developing nuclear weaponry ... and when nuclear weapons fall into the hands of terror groups, or Iranian proxies, European capitals will be under an existential threat," he said, according to a transcript provided by his office.

IRAN CELEBRATING DOWNFALL OF MUBARAK
Meanwhile, Israeli daily Haaretz said that the passage of the Iranian ships was meant to convey a message − Iran is celebrating the downfall of longtime opponent Mubarak. According to Haaretz, the Islamic Republic is also underlining an improvement in its relationship with Egypt.

The Israeli daily said that Iran is also indirectly threatening Israel, though the actual danger from the move is virtually nothing. "The ships are not expected to come anywhere near Israel, and the Israel Navy is more than capable of taking care of them if they decide to do otherwise."