The Suez Canal

Interesting news about Iran sending two warships through the Suez Canal on passage to Syria and the Lebanon. Apparently this is the first time the Iranians have sent warships through the Suez Canal since the creation of the Iranian Islamic Republic in 1979. Egypt has never been 'happy' about the Iranian Islamic Republic which apparently publicly announced on 26 January 2011 that it would be sending the warships through the Canal. One wonders why now. Is the timing to do with the troubles in Egypt or were the Iranians always going to send the warships anyway? In either case the result must be to put pressure on Israel and possibly to test how strong the alliance between Israel and Egypt is following Mubarak's departure. One also wonders what Iran's intention is and whether it is mischievous. Are they going to stir up trouble? If so will the Americans come to Israel's aid? Now that we have so few ships (thanks to the economic mess left by the last Labour government) what will we do? I hope the West will not be pusillanimous as it seems to me that any action by Iran should be met by a vigorous response. The historian Niall Ferguson gave an interview on an American news channel in which he says Bummer's response to the Egyptian demonstrations was dire. See it here on Archbishop Cranmer's blog of yesterday http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/