Egypt's Suez Canal was informed that plans by two Iranian naval vessels to cross through the strategic waterway heading north to the Mediterranean had been cancelled, an official said on Thursday.

The Suez Canal Authority was "informed today about the cancellation of two scheduled trips of two Iranian warships and no new date was set to cross the Suez as part of the southern convoy coming from the Red Sea," the canal official, who declined to be named, said.

The official, who identified the ships as the Alvand and Kharg, said the vessels were near the Saudi Red Sea port of Jeddah. Shipping experts had earlier said the ships were the Alvand frigate and Kharg supply ship.