Iran navy chief: Warship visit peaceful - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Iran navy chief: Warship visit peaceful

DAMASCUS, Syria — The chief of Iran’s navy says a visit by two warships to Syria “is a peaceful message to all nations.”

Adm. Habibollah Sayyari told reporters upon arrival in Damascus Wednesday that the ships will arrive in Syria Thursday where they will conduct training.

The two Iranian vessels sailed through the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean on Tuesday, the first such trip in at least three decades, prompting Israeli charges that Tehran is seeking to dominate the Middle East.

Sayyari rebuffed Israeli criticism of the passage, saying the Jewish state approaches the matter from “its hostile vision.”

He said the warships are heading to the Syrian port of Latakia. He refused to say how long they will stay in the Mediterranean.

Syria is a close Arab ally of Iran.