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Last update - 09:00 16/07/2009
Defense official: Israel readying for attack on Iran
By Amos Harel, Anshel Pfeffer and Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondents and Haaretz Service
Tags: Iran, Israel news, Red Sea 

Israel's recent deployment of warships across the Red Sea should be seen as serious preparation for an attack on Iran, an Israeli defense official told the Times of London on Thursday.

"This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran. These maneuvers are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats," the official was quoted as saying.

Earlier this week, two Israel Navy gunboats openly sailed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea.
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The ships that passed through the Suez Canal on Tuesday were two Sa'ar 5 gunboats, the Hanit and the Eilat. This follows a similar incident in late June, when an Israeli Dolphin-class submarine passed through the canal, later returning the same way.

The move, apparently coordinated with Egypt, is seen as a warning message to Middle Eastern radicals, first and foremost Iran.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit confirmed the crossings and said that Cairo's agreements with Jerusalem permit Israeli military ships to transit the canal. He declined to speculate on whether the voyage was meant as a warning to Iran or anyone else.

While Israeli naval ships have gone through Suez before, the last such occurrence was at least a year ago.

An Israeli diplomat told the Times that Israel's has been bolstering its ties with certain Arab nations just as wary of the Iranian nuclear threat. In particular, the diplomat cited a "shared mutual distrust of Iran" between Israel and Egypt.

Though neither side says so publicly, there is ongoing security coordination between Israel and Egypt, which could be expanded if necessary in the future.

Israel has an interest in a naval presence in the Red Sea for two reasons: the effort to halt arms smuggling from Iran to the Gaza Strip - which, according to international media reports, mainly takes place by sea from Iran to Sudan, and then overland via Egypt, and the effort to bolster its deterrence against Iran in the event of a direct conflict breaking out.

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      1.   Israel could not take out Hizbollah; how can they take out Iran? 09:10  |  Dave 16/07/09
      2.   computer software and hardware purchase 09:27  |  annonymous 16/07/09
      3.   They might be serious this time 09:36  |  Kourush 16/07/09
      4.   Bad, Mad World 09:38  |  Peksup Puutsa 16/07/09
      5.   How stupid 09:41  |  John of Jordan 16/07/09
      6.   hizbollah and Iran wipe out 09:41  |  theZone 16/07/09
      7.   Go For It Israel! May The Lord Protect You! 09:42  |  Khaled 16/07/09
      8.   #1 Dave: Israel can repear 1967:AHMADI+HEZB+HAMAS.What Israel 09:43  |  Vittorio 16/07/09
      9.   Isreal readying for Iran 09:51  |  DT 16/07/09
      10.   It`s about time we get a move on 10:06  |  Samuel Prime 16/07/09
      11.   Israel, think before you act please! 10:20  |  Aaron 16/07/09
      12.   I retract what I wrote the other day 10:23  |  Yonatan 16/07/09
      13.   Go Israel--I will enjoy the "day after the night before" 10:41  |  Labhras 16/07/09
      14.   Israel, and its naval presence in the Red Sea. 10:43  |  Sapper Joe 16/07/09
      15.   Fact: Israel lacks technical and intelligence capability 10:50  |  Kourush 16/07/09
      16.   Dangerous Israeli nonsense. For peace, liquidate all settlements 10:53  |  Ivar 16/07/09
      17.   #1 Dave, you are some what correct but 10:53  |  Cyrus 16/07/09
      18.   #17 Cyrus is partly right 11:15  |  The Prophet 16/07/09
      19.   Dave, drunk on vintage 2006 wine 11:19  |  Worried/realistic 16/07/09
      20.   To Dave #1 Times of london is trying to sell papers, no story 11:34  |  jason 16/07/09
      21.   to Cyrus in Iran; No.17 11:46  |  GA 16/07/09
      22.   Labhras, not to worry. Israel will not be alone. In today`s New 12:26  |  Steve -nyc 16/07/09
      23.   Mission Possible 12:49  |  Charles marks 16/07/09
      24.   Life Is Precious 13:07  |  Pageal 16/07/09
      25.   of course it is not an attack 13:15  |  mehmet 16/07/09
      26.   Guess what? 13:26  |  ScotGuy 16/07/09
      27.   Kourush 13:27  |  Paul 16/07/09
      28.   ISRAELI OFFICIAL LIVING IN lAlA LAND 13:27  |  Chris Linthwaite 16/07/09
      29.   Dave #1 13:27  |  Daniel 16/07/09
      30.   is this paranoia??? 13:35  |  ScotGuy 16/07/09
      31.   Iran Currently 13:37  |  khairi janbek 16/07/09
      32.   Militarily impossible 13:45  |  r cummings 16/07/09
      33.   And if we do Chris? 14:07  |  Ki`emli 16/07/09
      34.   The Israeli Red Sea Fleet 14:13  |  Jeff Northridge 16/07/09
      35.   Empty Threats 14:19  |  Jane 16/07/09
      36.   This is non-sense 14:22  |  Muslima 16/07/09
      37.   Can you imagine an Iranian said the same? 14:48  |  Farhad Abdolian 16/07/09
      38.   attacking iran ? 15:25  |  ahmet aksoy 16/07/09
      39.   Israel Attacks Iran. Then Hamas, Hezbollah Attack Israel. Then.. 15:56  |  Ed 16/07/09
      40.   #33 Not going to happen 15:56  |  Chris Lin 16/07/09
      41.   Obama will talk to Iran. no wars any more 16:01  |  Paul 16/07/09
      42.   # 37 Farhat 16:03  |  Abuya 16/07/09
      43.   Israeli Intent 16:06  |  Iain 16/07/09
      44.   Jeff Northcliffe`s "Israeli fleet" # 34 16:12  |  Clickfool 16/07/09
      45.   warmonger israelis 16:13  |  kretos 16/07/09
      46.   Israel definitely can project more power 16:25  |  Gary 16/07/09
      47.   Suitcase nukes 16:32  |  Clegg 16/07/09
      48.   Israelis as warmongers ? How so ? 16:33  |  Gary 16/07/09
      49.   34 jeff 16:37  |  Axel 16/07/09
      50.   "Do His will, and He will do your will"... 16:40  |  sandra chitayat 16/07/09
      51.   The purpose of the Israeli naval task force 16:45  |  Natallie Durson 16/07/09
      52.   Farhad in France 16:52  |  Persian Kitty 16/07/09
      53.   Israel will fight 16:57  |  wibism 16/07/09
      54.   Oh Boy, do I have a deal for you! 16:57  |  David Turner 16/07/09
      55.   Another Israeli adventure - after Lebenon & Gaza 17:09  |  Jeff Marquis 16/07/09
      56.   The Prophet 17:13  |  Persian Kitty 16/07/09
      57.   threats should not be taken lightly 17:13  |  chilem 16/07/09
      58.   Israel readying for an operation in Gulf ? 17:14  |  Gary 16/07/09
      59.   This is Alarmist Drivel 17:22  |  MIKE 16/07/09
      60.   A wise nation prepares for contingencies 17:31  |  Jacob Blues 16/07/09
      61.   This is the reason the arabs/muslims can and will never win 17:37  |  HA HA 16/07/09
      62.   If tensions rise & US soldiers get killed in Iraq 17:43  |  Benjamin 16/07/09
      63.   Rupert Murdoch`s War 17:50  |  Mark Lincoln 16/07/09
      64.   And What Do You Think Iran Is Doing? 17:57  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/07/09
      65.   warmongers 18:05  |  mustafa söz 16/07/09
      66.   Axel # 49 Israel Doesn`t Need To Guard The Entire Sudanese Coast 18:30  |  Jeff Northridge 16/07/09
      67.   i like the element of surprize 18:35  |  michael 16/07/09
      68.   "Those who don`t know are talking. Those who know are not." 18:42  |  common sense 16/07/09
      69.   This will convince Iran to be firm on nuke development 19:25  |  Mustafa Janesson 16/07/09
      70.   Before attacking Iran, the exercise calls for attacking China ... 19:32  |  S 16/07/09
      71.   Iran already declared it is readying attack on Israel 19:43  |  Joe Sittizen 16/07/09
      72.   Big Mistake 19:54  |  MiddleStanian 16/07/09
      73.   answer to theZone 20:13  |  proud american 16/07/09
      74.   answer to #8 20:14  |  proud american 16/07/09
      75.   Go Israel, your backs are against the wall! 20:23  |  4:20 16/07/09
      76.   Obama will talk to Iran. no wars any more 20:29  |  Paul 16/07/09
      77.   You kids are nuts!!! 21:51  |  bobby bobo 16/07/09
      78.   #60, Wise nations have contingency plans 23:32  |  Gary 16/07/09
      79.   Poor Iranians.. 01:59  |  ScotGuy 17/07/09
      80.   #18 The Prophet: I quite agree with you. 02:08  |  Cyrus 17/07/09
      81.   How many Jewish deaths will be an 02:08  |  how many 17/07/09
      82.   The sooner Israel starts WW3, the 02:10  |  nuclear winter 17/07/09
      83.   response to #10 samuel 02:21  |  irani 17/07/09
      84.   #21 GA - UK 02:45  |  Cyrus 17/07/09
      85.   Once again, time for the annual scare tactic 03:09  |  Jim 17/07/09
      86.   #9 DT 03:14  |  Jim 17/07/09
      87.   One way ticket... 03:56  |  Josh 17/07/09
      88.   More killing of women & children. Shame on warmongers. 05:34  |  Alaska 17/07/09
      89.   ridiculous 07:00  |  Truth 17/07/09
      90.   Worried/realistic #19 09:01  |  John E. Smoke 17/07/09
      91.   We killed a bear but the USA shot him is what IDF is saying 09:05  |  Yoav Cohen 17/07/09
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