Israel's Barak: No Danger From Iranian Warships in Suez

Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak says he is not concerned that two Iranian warships carrying navy cadets to a Syrian port are passing through the Suez Canal, but does consider it a provocation.

Ehud Barak

Barak Wednesday told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer the Iranians must have planned the move before the recent change of government in Egypt — which controls the Suez Canal — “so it must be part of a wider scheme,” adding that many ships, including Israeli vessels, pass through the waterway.

“If they were bringing rockets, or weapons, or explosives to the Hamas or Hezbollah, we would have probably acted against them,” Barak said. “But they are coming with cadets, navy cadets, to visit a Syrian port. It is a way of projecting power, and self-confidence, and a certain assertiveness in the region.

“We are a turbulent region, but I don’t see a reason to be worried,” he said.