Iran 's Defense Minister's words added (the first version was posted at 16:36)
Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi on Wednesday strongly refuted claims by Israel about interception of a ship carrying Iranian made weapons enroute to Gaza, IRNA reported.
"Given current developments in Islamic countries which have drawn the attention of the big powers they try through dissemination of such fabricated news to alleviate pressures on them", he said.
"Israel tries to divert world public opinion from its criminal acts through dissemination of such fabricated news," Vahidi added.
"Israel is a regime made of lie, making lies and fabrications," Commander of Iran's Army Major-General Ataollah Salehi said early Wednesday, IRNA reported.
He was commenting on Israel's latest allegations over seizing of a ship in the Mediterranean Sea which it claimed was carrying weapons to Gaza from Iran.
"Israel will drown in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, God willing, after the collapse of the Egyptian pharaoh," the commander said, rejecting Israel's allegations against Iran.
Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that the weapons seized from a ship earlier in the day were from Iran, the newspaper Haaretz reported.
"We are currently collecting information and the one thing that is certain is that the weapons are from Iran with a relay station in Syria," Netanyahu said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli navy seized a ship that was smuggling weapons allegedly destined for terror groups in the Gaza Strip.
"Last night, I granted permission to take over a ship for which we had the basis to think that there were weapons on it destined for Gaza," Netanyahu said. "The source of the weapons is Iran, which continues to try to arm terrorist forces against Israel."