Cypriots unload Iranian ship carrying illegal arms for Hamas
Although defense minister Ehud Barak did not confirm that the Iranian ships on their way to the Gaza Strip carry arms for Hamas - in a radio interview Thursday, Feb. 5, DEBKAfile's military sources report that Tehran is preparing to send a number of arms vessels to break the blockade on Gaza, encouraged by the failure of the US, Egyptian and Israeli navies to confiscate the arms aboard the Cypriot-flagged arms ships now docked at Limassol.
The Iranians calculate that while not all the ships may get through the Israeli naval blockade, one would suffice. Our sources report that some are already on the way. They are expected to enter the Gulf of Suez and waters opposite Gaza over the weekend and try to drop their cargoes of weapons containers off shore. Israeli warships and spy planes are tracking them.
At a special conference Thursday, Feb. 5, prime minister Olmert, foreign minister Tzipi Livni and the defense minister agreed to Iranian arms ships must be prevented from unloading its cargo, even at the cost of a marine clash with Iran.
Barak also disclosed that the Cypriot authorities are unloading the Iranian arms ship Monchegorsk renamed Iran Hedayt in Limassol harbor having discovered it is in contravention of the UN Security Council sanctions resolution 1747 which bans Iranian arms exports.
DEBKA file's military sources disclosed it was carrying 10 containers of Iranian rockets and other weapons for rearming Hamas in the Gaza Strip in violation of Israel's terms for accepting a Gaza ceasefire last month. Cyprus reported to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on its findings in two inspections of the vessel but has not published them.
At stake now is the entire international effort to stop the Palestinian Islamists rearming – to which the US, Egypt and European nations are party.
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