U.S., French Ships to Seek Iranian Arms Bound for Gaza
An American naval taskforce in the Gulf of Aden has been ordered to hunt for suspicious Iranian arms ships seeking to rearm Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, Britain's Times reported. The action follows a similar order by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who on Friday dispatched a frigate to the waters off Gaza to patrol for smuggled weapons. In addition, several top European Union officials have pressed Egypt to step up its own efforts to prevent arms smuggling to Hamas. The orders, key elements of a multilayered international effort to prevent Hamas' rearmament, come amid reports that Iran has already redoubled efforts to supply advanced weaponry to Hamas, just days after Israel concluded its defensive operation in Gaza. Click here to learn about efforts to halt Hamas' smuggling activity.