Israeli warships cross (again) the Suez Canal ... a new signal to Iran

AP, here

"... Two of Israel's Saar class missile boats crossed through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea, Israeli defense officials said. Speaking on condition of anonymity because the move was not officially publicized, they said it was connected to "the navy's recent activities around the Red Sea."

A Suez Canal official in Egypt confirmed the report....

Earlier this month, Israeli defense officials said one of the navy's Dolphin class submarines had also sailed to the Red Sea through the Suez Canal in June, returning July 5. Beyond the ability to threaten shipping, some foreign media reports say Dolphins can fire nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and serve as Israel's deterrent "second-strike" capability, allowing Israel to launch nuclear weapons from afar even if the country itself is targeted by a nuclear attack.

"There is nothing unusual about the navy being in those waters _ they often train there," said Shlomo Brom, a former Israeli general and a security expert at the Institute for National Security Studies. "What is unusual, though, is that this information was made public. I believe it was likely leaked on purpose in order to signal to Iran that Israel has the capability of reaching them," Brom said.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that under a long-standing treaty, warships can freely sail through Suez as long as they have no hostile intentions against the state that owns the canal. He declined to say whether the maneuver was aimed at sending a message, saying "I don't want to analyze an issue that I am not fully aware of."