Iranian ship was carrying arms....

Supposedly bound for Syria....but perhaps Gaza?

A U.N. committee accused Iran on Tuesday of violating a U.N. ban on importing or exporting arms by trying to ship weapons-related material in a vessel that was seized by authorities in Cyprus.

Some diplomats believe the material may have been bound for Lebanon or Gaza.

Japan's U.N. Ambassador Yukio Takasu, chairman of the Iran sanctions committee, told the U.N. Security Council the shipment of conventional weaponry constituted a "violation" of Security Council resolution 1737, passed in 2006 to put pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program.

In a letter to Iran, a draft of which was obtained by Reuters, Takasu said the Cyprus-flagged MV Monchegorsk, chartered by the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line, was carrying banned items, including bullet shells, high-explosive gun charges, items related to 125 mm armor-piercing guns and high explosive anti-tank propellant.

It said the ship's documents indicated the material was headed for Syria, though council diplomats say its final destination remains unclear.

Several diplomats have said it might have been headed for Lebanon though others suspect it was intended for the Palestinian enclave of the Gaza Strip.