Iran, U.S. warships face down in Suez

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. Navy warships are keeping a close eye on two Iranian warships expected to make a rare passage through the Suez Canal, a U.S. spokesman says.

"If the ships move through the canal, we will evaluate what they actually do," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. "It's not really about the ships. It's about what the ships are carrying, what's their destination, what's the cargo on board, where's it going, to whom and for what benefit."

Iran's Kharg cruiser and Alvand missile destroyer were waiting to enter the Suez at the southern Red Sea entrance opposite the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf and the fast supply ship USNS Arctic, the Jerusalem-based military intelligence-oriented news Web site Debkafile reported Monday.

Four other carriers, the USS Kearsarge, the USS George Washington, the USS Carl Vinson and the USS Abraham Lincoln are all in the region.

The massing of American ships is seen by some as a figurative shot across Iran's bow, warning it not to make political hay of the recent unrest in the Middle East, Debkafile said.

The Tehran Times says the 33,000-ton Kharg is a refueling and support vessel and the Alvand a 1,500-ton light patrol frigate, but Debkafile alleges the Iranian ships are transporting long-range surface missiles for Hezbollah.

No Iranian naval vessels have traversed the canal in three decades. Adding intrigue and intensity to the situation, Debkafile said, is that under authority of U.N. sanctions against Iran the U.S. forces could try to inspect the two ships for any banned weapons shipments. The United States has not indicated whether that tactic would be employed.