Bloomberg: Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that two Iranian gunboats are planning to sail tonight to Syria through Egypt’s Suez Canal in what he called a “provocation.”
Bloomberg
By Gwen Ackerman
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that two Iranian gunboats are planning to sail tonight to Syria through Egypt’s Suez Canal in what he called a “provocation.”
“Regretfully, the international community isn’t showing readiness to deal with the recurring Iranian provocations,” Lieberman said today in a speech in Jerusalem. “The international community must understand that Israel can’t ignore forever these kinds of provocations.”
The possible move by Iran comes five days after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Israeli leaders have voiced concern that Iran may exploit the period of transition.
Gasoline and heating oil advanced in New York, following Brent crude oil in London higher for a third day, as fuel demand increased and on reports of the Iranian warships.
Brent for April delivery rose $2.26 to $103.90 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange as Middle East protests spread to Libya, threatening fuel supplies. U.S. fuel use rose 3.8 percent last week to a seven-week high, according to Energy Department data.
U.S. stocks pared gains, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index near a 32-month high. The S&P 500 advanced 0.2 percent to 1,330.53 at 12:13 p.m. in New York. The Dow Jones Industrial Average increased 23.46 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,250.10.
