What Cargo May Be Aboard Iranian Warships Transiting the Suez Canal?

Iran’s leaders are closely watching the progress of two of their navy warships, the 1500 ton frigate Alvand and the 33,000 ton refueling and supply ship Kharg, through the Suez Canal. They reportedly will arrive at a Syrian port in a few days. The passage of Iranian warships into the Mediterranean is rightfully viewed, in itself, as a provocative act by Israel and by NATO naval forces. Iranian warships haven't been seen in the Mediterranean since the 1970s. But, perhaps, there should also be great concern with the cargoes these warships may be carrying. What a better way could Iran have to circumvent UN and like-minded country sanctions.

UN Security Council Resolution 1749 ( March 2007) prohibits Iran from “supply(ing), sell(ing), or transfer(ing) directly or indirectly ... any arms or related material." All countries are obligated to prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or to use their flag vessels or aircraft to transport such items. And, these prohibitions are further re-enforced by paragraph 8 of UN Security Council Resolution 1929 (June 2010).
In November 2009, Israeli naval units interdicted the German-owned freighter Francorp in international waters near Cyprus. The ship had called in Iran prior to its transit to the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. The Israeli navy seized 500 tons of Katyusha rockets, mortars, bullets, and grenades concealed aboard the ship in containers belonging to the Iranian shipping line. The ship’s manifest had indicated a much more benign cargo destined for Syria. This is believed to be only one of many occurences involving illicit shipments of Iranian origin arms in violation of UN sanctions.
Courtesy of WikiLeaks we can now read a series of State Department cables indicating that Sudan was also complicit in allowing Iranian arms to be passed to Hamas in Gaza. In March 2009, Jordan and Egypt were also warned by the State Department of imminent Iranian plans to ship a cargo of "lethal military equipment" to Syria for onward shipment to Hizbollah and Hamas in violation of UN Sanctions.
Canal authorities have indicated that they have obtained assurances from the Iranians that neither Iranian warship carries nuclear or chemical related cargoes, but, no attempt will be made to inspect either ship. And few should doubt that Iran wouldn’t use this opportunity to transport other proscribed cargo such as arms, rockets and other military items. Such items might well be destined for Syria, Hizbollah and Hamas, or elsewhere where it might do harm to US or Israeli interests. And, what cargo might such ships pick up in Syria to bring back to Iran on their return voyage. Iran is known, for example, to be in the market for numerous items to advance their uranium enrichment and ballistic missile development programs. And, Syria is a well known transit point for forwarding sanction contraband items to Iran. It has also served, in the past, as a transhipment point for North Korean contriband items into the region and to Iran.
UN Security Council Resolution 1929 (June 2010) spells out a maritime interdiction system which calls upon all countries to inspect suspect cargoes in their harbor or, with the flag states permission, on the high seas. But, it is highly doubtful that such an interdiction regime could or would be applied to these Iranian warships. This makes it all the more important that the movement of these ships and their presence in Mediterranean ports be closely monitored, and that Syria be held accountable with regard to its international obligations.