“We are ready but awaiting permission from the foreign ministry, given the political, military and security conditions in the region,” Mojtaba Majd, a senior Red Crescent official, said.

That approval is likely to come, say analysts, who argue that Iran cannot risk losing face by rowing back on plans to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza after announcing them with such fanfare.

The Iranian regime, which has long portrayed itself as the main champion of the Palestinians, also feels it has lost ground to its recent ally, Turkey.

A Turkish-flagged ship led the “freedom flotilla” convoy that suffered a deadly Israeli commando raid earlier this month as it tried to deliver aid to Gaza. Nine people on board the Turkish vessel were shot dead.

“Iran has sent hundreds of millions of dollars to Gaza, yet there are lots of Turkish flags there and not one Iranian flag in sight,” Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born analyst living in Israel, said in an interview.