Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad assured Turkish leaders whom he met in Istanbul Tuesday, Jan. 8 that Iranian "aid" vessels heading for Gazan waters within days will not shrink from a head-on clash with Israel. On the Turkish-Israeli conflict, he said it would "change many issues in the world and mark the final countdown for Israel's existence."
DEBKAfile reports Iranian and Turkish leaders agreed to synchronize the hoped-for clash with the Security Council sanctions vote - as a stunt for heading it off.