Israel to display Iranian ship in hope of derailing talks with West
Israel brought an Iranian ship it had seized to dock Saturday. Claiming the ship was carrying Syrian-made rockets bound for Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, 'This is the real face of Iran,' and expressed hope the West would rethink outreach to Iran.
Eilat, Israel
A ship seized by the聽聽on suspicion of smuggling arms from Iran to the聽聽docked on Saturday in聽, which planned to put the cargo on display in hope of denting聽's rapprochement with the West.
The Klos C was taken without resistance in the Red Sea on Wednesday.聽聽said it found dozens of advanced Syrian-made rockets hidden on board in Iran and destined for the ship's next port in聽, from where they would have been trucked through聽听迟辞听.
Iran and聽's Islamist聽聽rulers, both hostile to the Jewish state, rejected the Israeli findings as fabrications.
Israeli Prime Minister聽, who has been dismayed at world powers' nuclear diplomacy with Iran since聽聽installed the relatively pragmatic Hassan Rouhani as president last year, voiced hope they would now rethink the outreach.
"This ship will get to Eilat and the truth will become fully known," Netanyahu told聽's Channel 10 TV on Friday. "This is the real face of Iran."
罢丑别听聽said it would take around two days to find and bring out for public viewing the contraband from the some 150 cargo containers abroad the Panamanian-flagged Klos C.
The ship would then be free to leave, as would its 17 crew members, who include Turks, Indians, Georgians and Azeris.
"They are on the ship. They will remain with the ship. Given that they have no hand in the arms smuggling, they will continue on their way," Israeli Admiral聽聽told Reuters.