WarSclerotic

The U.S. military and intelligence services worked with Israel to track the vessel carrying a shipment of long-range missiles from Iran to the Gaza Strip that was intercepted by the Israeli Navy on Wednesday, Obama administration officials said.

Washington began cooperating with Israel through military and intelligence channels and on the national security adviser level as soon as the shipment of arms was discovered, White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Wednesday.

U.S. President Barack Obama even ordered the U.S. military to prepare for a scenario in which it would have to intercept the vessel, Carney said.

“Our intelligence and military activities were closely coordinated with our Israeli counterparts, who ultimately chose to take the lead in interdicting this shipment of illicit arms,” he said.

“We will continue to stand up to Iran’s support for destabilizing activities in the region in coordination with our partners and allies. These illicit acts are unacceptable to the international community and in gross violation of Iran’s Security Council obligations.” Carney said.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the U.S. provided Israel with information about the vessel. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro also confirmed U.S.-Israeli coordination.

In another step signalling tightening U.S.-Israeli relations, the U.S. Congress on Wednesday passed legislation aiming “to strengthen the strategic alliance between the United States and Israel.” The law legislates greater cooperation between the countries in security and intelligence matters, and other fields such as energy.

Iran meanwhile denied on Wednesday that it was behind the thwarted arms shipment. A “reliable source” in the Iranian military called such reports “baseless and false.”

Syria, which initially sent the weapons to Iran, did not respond to the reports. Hamas quickly denied that the intercepted missiles were destined for Gaza. An adviser to Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called the reports an “Israeli lie meant to justify the Zionist occupation’s ongoing blockade against Gaza.”

“To say the missiles were bound for us is nothing more than a joke,” he added.

Meanwhile, Iranian Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehghan announced on Wednesday the delivery of new ballistic missiles, some of which are capable of carrying multiple warheads. According to Iranian reports, the missiles have a range that includes Israel.

At a ceremony Wednesday, Dehghan presented a delivery of four types of ballistic missiles — named Qiam, Qadr H1, Fateh-110 and Persian Gulf. The Qadr H1 and Qiam, he said, are equipped with multiple warheads, greatly boosting their destructive power.

“These missiles are able to hit and destroy enemy targets with precision, and they meet a variety of the armed forces’ needs,” Dehghan said. “The weapons have strengthened Iran’s deterrence power and military might,” he added, in comments were posted on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s website.