In These New Times

Jason Ditz

Antiwar.com

16th February, 2011

Financial markets the world over are in turmoil and Brent North Sea Crude has reached a new short-term high today after Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman accused Iran of planning to send two warships through the Suez Canal later this evening and suggested this could provoke an Israeli attack on the nation.

The plans hadn’t been widely publicized until today, and Iran’s state media is so far mum on the allegation, but Lieberman insisted that two Iranian warships would pass through the canal later this evening on their way to Syria. The ships are reportedly planning to remain docked in Syria for one year.

Which is unusual, but not entirely shocking since Iran and Syria are allies. Lieberman,whose threats came in an email statement, insisted that the plan to send the ships proved that the Iranian government’s “insolence” is growing.

Though the threat appeared to be taken all too seriously in financial circles, it should be pointed out that Lieberman tends to make idle threats and his influence on Israeli foreign policy appears to be extremely minimal. Likewise, it doesn’t seem the two warships could even theoretically pose an offensive threat to Israel, though they might well be offered as defensive backup if, as is often threatened, Israel starts new wars in the region