The Israeli Navy has returned to sailing through the Suez Canal, recently sending one of its advanced Dolphin-class submarines through the waterway to participate in naval maneuvers off the Eilat coast in the Red Sea, the Jerusalem Post has learned.
According to the daily, Israeli sources said the decision to allow navy vessels to sail through the canal was made recently and was a definite “change of policy” within the service. In 2005, then OC Navy Adm. David Ben-Bashat decided to stop sending Israeli ships through the canal due to growing “threats” in the area.
However, the Dolphin-class submarine sailed through last month to get from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Israeli officials said it passed through the canal above water, and that it was not done covertly. “It is a question of policy,” a senior officer explained. “Navy vessels have sailed through the canal on several occasions recently.”
“The significance of the move was debatable, but it could be interpreted as a message to Iran and a demonstration of strengthening ties between Egypt and Israel,” the Post said.
In the event of a conflict with Iran, and if Israel decided to involve its three Dolphin-class submarines – which according to foreign reports can fire nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and serve as a second-strike platform – the quickest route would be to send them through the Suez Canal.
The only way to get to the Gulf of Oman without refueling would be to go through the canal. With their reported 4,500 nautical mile range, taking the long way, around Africa, would require the Dolphins to make at least two stops for refueling at a friendly port, or for fuel to be replenished at sea.
Calm on the Lebanese Palestinian border does not necessarily involve good news for Israel, a report published by the Israeli daily Maariv said on Friday.
Ayatollah Khamenei the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution met this morning with the head and officials of the judiciary. Speaking at the meeting, Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the administration of justice as the pivotal duty of the judiciary and added that it could be achieved through observing the law.
Zionist regime’s army murdered a 17-year old young woman with a tank shell in Gaza. He rbrother was wounded in the brutal raid. Palestinian Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported Thursday that a 17-year-old girl was martyred, and her 24-year-old brother was injured when the army fired an artillery shell at an area close to Juhr Ed Deek in Central Gaza. The martyred young woman was identified as Hiyam Abu Ayish, 17, and her brother was identified as Husam, 24. The sources added that the shell directly hit the house of Abu Ayish. According to Dr. Muawiya Hassanen, an official at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 3-yeard-old child, and three other relatives of Abu Ayish were also wounded.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko on Thursday said that his country is seriously opposed to imposing sanctions against Iran which he said runs counter to international rules and is quite unconstructive. Speaking to reporters in a press conference on Thursday, he said pursuing a sanction policy with regards to Iran’s developments would be unproductive and will exacerbate the situation. Referring to friendly ties between Moscow and Tehran, he said Russia is to broaden ties with Iran based on mutual cooperation and good-neighborly ties in all fields. The current affairs in Iran should be resolved through peaceful dialogues, he underlined. Russia believes that current developments in Iran is an internal affair which should be solved according to the country’s constitution, he said. Russia’s stance on Iran’s developments and its presidential election is quite clear and there will be no change in it, he pointed out.
The US economy shed 467,000 jobs in June and the country’s unemployment rate climbed to 9.5 per cent, the US Labour Department said Thursday. The monthly figures were worse than expected, after the US job slide had improved dramatically in May. The Labour Department revised May’s job loss to 322,000 from 345,000. Economists had predicted only 365,000 jobs would be cut in June, according to a Bloomberg News survey. The United States has now lost 6.5 million jobs since a recession began in December 2007 and the unemployment rate remains at its highest level in a quarter-century. Manufacturing and construction continued to be some of the worst hit industries. Health care remained one of the few growing sectors.
“Iraqi government is able to establish security in the country,” Iraqi President Jalal Talabani told IRI’s Ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi on Friday. He said that although the terrorist groups may became more active after the changes in the country, but the Iraqi people should be vigilant and resist against them. Talabani said,” The government will become powerful if unity is established among Iraqi groups.” Talabani then referred to Kurdistan parliamentary elections, saying, “Different parties and groups will participate in the event. Iranian Ambassador to Iraq for his part congratulated the Iraqi nation on the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraqi cities and hoped for the establishment of complete security and stability in Iraq. Hassan Kazemi Qomi referred to Iran-Iraq ties and said,” Iranian companies are ready to complete constructional projects in Iraq and we call for expansion of joint trade and economic cooperation with the Kurdish side.”
Iran’s Government Spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham said that in the tenth presidential elections people voted for revival of path of late Imam Khomeini (May his soul rest in peace), ideals of the Islamic Revolution and religious-democracy.
U.S. missiles struck a training facility allegedly operated by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud and a militant hide-out Friday, killing 15 people and wounding 27 others. According to AP, the two attacks by drone aircraft took place in South Waziristan, a Mehsud stronghold close to the Afghan border.
Today July 3 is the 21st anniversary of the cowardly attack by the American ship Vincennes on an Iranian Air bus passenger plane. The attack took place when the plane was on its way from the port city of Bandar Abbas to Dubai across the Persian Gulf with 275 passengers and 15 crews on board.
Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad opened a new laser research center in Tehran Thursday evening. According to IRNA, after the inauguration ceremony the president visited different parts of the center which is to focus on the laser sciences and technologies. He said the self-reliance of Iranian young scientists was the force behind the current progressive move of the country.
Jafria News 
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