Iranian warships have passed through Egypt's Suez Canal and entered the Mediterranean Sea, in a move likely to be watched closely by Israel.

Iran's navy commander Habibollah Sayyari was quoted by Iran's official news agency, IRNA, as saying that the mission was a show of might and a “message of peace”.

He did not specify how many Navy ships were involved or where they are headed, but news agencies quote Iranian and Egyptian sources as saying they could be going to Syria.

Sayyari said the passage through the Suez Canal was only the second made by Iranian ships since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Two Iranian warships passed through the strategic waterway last February and docked in Syria, in a move Israel called a “provocation”.

The Suez canal cuts through Egypt and allows shipping to pass between the Middle East to Europe.