CAIRO – Two Iranian naval vessels have submitted a request to transit the Suez Canal, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday.

Israel has expressed concerns over the plans, labeling them a “provocation.”

Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said Egyptian authorities have received the request to grant the vessels passage, while a Suez Canal official said the Defense Ministry would process the application.

In Tehran, Iran’s official English-language Press TV cited an Iranian naval official saying the two warships are to pass through the canal.

The official said Tehran was in contact with Egypt about the ships.

Earlier, a canal official had said the Iranians had withdrawn a request to transit the waterway, without giving an explanation for the application’s withdrawal. It was not immediately clear why there were contradictory reports over the transit request.