IDF intercepts major Iranian weapons shipment to Gaza

Navy commandos board ship in early morning operation, encounter no resistance; vessel carried missiles with 200km range

IDF soldiers inspect a missile found on board Klos-C in a commando operation Wednesday morning. The military says the ship was carrying an Iranian arms shipment headed for Gaza (Photo credit: IDF)

IDF soldiers inspect a missile found on board Klos-C in a commando operation Wednesday morning. The military says the ship was carrying an Iranian arms shipment headed for Gaza (Photo credit: IDF)

IDF special forces on Wednesday intercepted a ship in the Red Sea carrying an Iranian arms shipment headed for the Gaza Strip.

Israeli naval commandos from the elite Shayetet 13 unit boarded and took control of the Klos-C merchant ship, sailing under the Panama flag, at around 5 a.m. They encountered no resistance and there were no casualties reported on either side.

The army said soldiers carried out a preliminary inspection of the ship and found advanced Syrian M-302 missiles with a range of 200 kilometers (125 miles) on board. The missiles were hidden in shipping containers also carrying sacks of concrete.

The incident took place 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Israel’s coast, in the Red Sea, off the Sudanese-Eritrean border. Israel had been tailing the ship for several days before the operation was launched.

The ship had a crew of 17, who were being interrogated by Israeli security forces.

The vessel had reportedly set sail from Iran ten days ago and was set to reach Sudan tomorrow. From there, the weaponry would have been smuggled into Gaza.

(WATCH: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the capture of the Iranian shipment)

The IDF said the ship was being towed to Eilat, a journey which would take several more days, where the ship’s cargo would be properly and extensively inspected.

IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz confers with Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon at the Navy war room during Wednesday morning's operation by naval commandos  during which they captured a Iranian shipment of weapons on its way to Gaza (photo credit: Ariel Hermoni/ Ministry of Defense)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz personally oversaw the operation and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was briefed on its progress as he toured the US.

Netanyahu commended Gantz and Mossad Chief Tamir Pardo for their efficient work.

“I would like to congratulate the IDF, Israel’s intelligence apparatuses and of course the commanders and soldiers of the navy who carried out a flawless operation to capture a covert Iranian weapons ship,” Netanyahu said.

“As it conducts talks with [world] powers, as Iran smiles and utters pleasantries, the same Iran is sending lethal weapons to terror organizations…via an intricate network of clandestine global operations…in order to hurt innocent civilians,” he added.
“This is the real Iran and this country must not be allowed to have nuclear weapons,” he said. “We will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect Israeli citizens.”

IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said: “The IDF will continue to operate against the Iranian attempts to arm regional terrorist organizations, who intend to continuously ignite our borders. We will continue to employ all the necessary means in order to prevent the armament of terrorist organizations and will combat the Iranian smuggling attempts that threaten the security and sovereignty of the State of Israel.”

The military said the operation originated several months ago, when IDF intelligence identified the transfer of Syrian M-302 rockets from Damascus to Tehran through Damascus International Airport. Intelligence officials found the move odd, as arms are usually transferred from Iran to Syria, not vice versa.

The shipment was then moved to Iran’s Bander Abbas port and loaded onto the Klos-C. The ship initially sailed to the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr where it was loaded with containers carrying bags of cement, to help conceal the weaponry and blur its Iranian origin.

The route of the Iranian weapons shipment captured by the IDF on Wednesday, March 5 (Photo credit: IDF)

The ship then set sail to Port Sudan. From there the weapons would have been smuggled into the Gaza Strip through the Sinai Peninsula.

The military noted Wednesday that while the Klos-C was not the first Iranian arms shipment captured by Israel over the past few years, it stood out due to “the lethality and quality of its cargo.” While previous shipments had carried mortars, mid-range rockets and light-weapons ammunition, the latest captured cargo carried missiles with a much larger range and warheads of a much heavier payload.

March 5, 2014 | 12 Comments »

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12 Comments / 12 Comments

  1. @ Shy Guy:

    “I suggest returning the missiles to Syria and Iran. By air.”

    Returning them to Syria could be complicated; it’s messy enough there already.

    But Iran? — now, that’s a whole different bagel.

    — An air mail delivery of the sort you suggested THERE could make for a nice little present.

    Especially w/ 14th Adar being just around the corner. . .

  2. “The IDF said the ship was being towed to Eilat, a journey which would take several more days, where the ship’s cargo would be properly and extensively inspected.”

    And then what?

    I suggest, after confiscating the cargo, taking the crew into custody, and properly scanning the vessel

    — tow her into the international zone

    — just outside Iranian waters

    — and scuttle her.

  3. Thank God for those in intelligence community. They should be commended for their diligence and heroic acts.
    Is it possible to know beyond a shadow of doubt what Hamas might have received through Egypt while Mursi was in power?
    The world respects power. The chattering classes would be silenced after awhile.
    Rather than allowing the enemy to get strengthened, what will happen if Israel wipes out as much as possible Iran’s nuclear facilities?
    I used to be more concerned about international communities reactions. Although it is still very important to take what the world may think into account, since they hate Israel without a valid reason (irrationally), it is better to take a swift action as the GCC could cooperate with Israel for their own interest before it is too late.

  4. yamit82 Said:

    Did GCC intel tip off Israel

    Who are they?

    yamit82 Said:

    Israel should learn from Putin

    And the USA as well. Big day today making Hamentashen for the masses.

  5. @ yamit82:
    How many shipments made it into Gaza or Sinai without detection? Should be the overriding question. Does it mean that Hamas is back in the Iranian fold?

    They have bout a 200 Km range effectively bringing all of Israel in range including Dimona, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Implications should be obvious.

    It’s only a matter of time before they are brought into Y&S if they have not already.

    Israel should learn from Putin

  6. Timing of the announcement was for political support for BB in the USA. Usually such announcements are made after such interdiction’s have made safe harbor in Eilat, not still in the middle of the ocean a long distance from Israel. The ship and cargoes won’t reach Israel before Sat or Sunday. Since the origin of the Syrian made weapons originated in Syria the Mossad provided most of the Intel. Did GCC intel tip off Israel?

  7. Good job! The world can be foolish enough to continue to do things their way – and then there is our way. 🙂

  8. Some Middle East military sources believe the shipment as not destined for Palestinian terrorists for use against Israel, but rather for Muslim Brotherhood activists fighting the Egyptian army from their forward base in the Gaza Strip. They don’t rule out the possibility of Al Qaeda affiliates fighting in Sinai as being the address. Western intelligence has recorded instances of Iran entering into ad hoc operational collaboration with al Qaeda elements when it suits Tehran’s book.
    http://www.debka.com/article/23730/Israel-Navy-seizes-Iranian-ship-carrying-missiles-bound-for-Gaza-Mid-East-sources-They-were-destined-for-Muslim-Brotherhood

  9. and the ludicrous barry obama asked Israel NOT to assassinate Iranian nuclear scientists.

    (p.s. hopefully when towing these boats back to Israel they remember the story of the “trojan horse”)