Israel stops ship with 'Iranian weapons'

Israel has intercepted a ship in the Red Sea carrying Iranian "advanced weaponry" bound for Palestinian militants in Gaza, the military says.

The military said on Wednesday that the Syrian-made weapons were shipped overland to Iran and then onward towards Gaza by sea.

Iran and Syria have long provided aid to both the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and to Palestinian armed groups.

"During a complex covert navy operation in the early hours of this morning, the navy intercepted a cargo vessel in international waters between Sudan and Eritrea that was carrying an Iranian shipment of advanced weapons," Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told reporters.

"Dozens of surface-to-surface M302 Syrian-manufactured rockets were found (aboard)," Lerner said, adding that the crew of the ship, named the Klos-C, had "fully cooperated".

The military said in an earlier statement it had "prevented an attempt to smuggle an Iranian shipment of advanced weaponry intended for terrorist organisations operating in the Gaza Strip".