Egypt's Suez Canal Authority said Wednesday it would allow Iranian aid ships to pass the waterway on their way to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip although it has yet to receive a request from Tehran. "The Canal will not take any measure against Iranian ships, simply because the Suez Canal Authority allows any vessel to pass whatever the flag it raises is," a source at the Suez Canal Authority said Wednesday. Iran had said late Tuesday it had prepared two ships carrying humanitarian and medical aid for Gaza and was awaiting an Egyptian response for a route to deliver the aid. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said in a press briefing that Iran made contacts with the Egyptian Government on arrangements to facilitate the delivery of the shipments to the impoverished people of Gaza and that any Egyptian efforts in opening a delivery route would be “appreciated by nations”. “We consider Egyptian efforts in opening an aid-delivery route a correct approach,” Mehmanparast was quoted by the Iranian official news agency ISNA as saying. He expressed optimism that Egypt would reflect on the “historic role” it can play in making the aid delivery to the people of Gaza happen. President Hosni Mubarak ordered the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, the only crossing bypassing Israel a day after Israeli commandos late last month raided an aid flotilla, killing nine Turkish activists. Iranian Red Crescent youth wing director Mohamed Javad Jafarian said “no definite” date had been set yet for departure of the ships to Hamas-controlled Gaza. Last week, Iran backed down from its threat to send “voluntary” marines for the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to board the boats and defend them against any attempt by Israel to intercept them enrooted to Gaza.
