According to the AFP report in Panama City on February 8, the Panamanian authorities said on the 7th that as long as Iranian naval vessels comply with international norms, they can be allowed to pass through the Panama Canal. Earlier, it was reported that Tehran would send ships to this strategic channel. It is reported that Iran's military presence in the Panama Canal will irritate the United States. At the beginning of the 20th century, the United States excavated this waterway connecting the Atlantic and the Pacific. Washington warned that it was closely monitoring Tehran's activities in the western hemisphere. It is reported that the Panama Canal side quoted an international treaty in 1977, which transferred control of the Panama Canal to Panama and established its neutral status, saying that as long as ships comply with global security norms, pay tolls and do not take any hostile action, the canal must "remain safe and open for peaceful passage". The Panama Canal Authority issued a statement saying: "Based on the above provisions, the Panama Canal Authority has the obligation to allow the passage of any vessel that meets these requirements." Before that, the local media had been reporting the news of the imminent arrival of Iranian naval vessels. (Outlook New Era)