Tehran , Iran ( CNN ) -- Iran still plans to send ships carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza , despite earlier reports to the contrary , a top official said Sunday . Mohammad Reza Sheibani , the deputy foreign minister in charge of Arab affairs , denied reports that Iran had abandoned the idea because of threats from Israel . `` The program to send ( humanitarian ) aid ships to Gaza by people 's organizations and NGOs is still on the agenda of the Islamic Republic , '' he told reporters , according to a report in the semi-official Mehr news agency . Tehran will coordinate with other nations who also plan to send aid and will decide on the departure time of the aid accordingly , Sheibani said . He said that sending aid to Gaza by plane and through Egyptian borders is still on the agenda , adding : `` This issue has been discussed with Egyptian authorities and we are waiting for them to let us know when our planes should carry the aid to Egypt . '' On Thursday , the Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Hossein Sheikholeslam -- secretary-general of the International Conference for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada -- as saying : `` The Iranian ship carrying humanitarian aid will not go to Gaza . '' IRNA said that Sheikholeslam told reporters in the northern city of Rasht that the ship had originally been scheduled to depart for Gaza on Thursday , but that its departure was postponed until Sunday because of restrictions imposed by Israel . He added that officials then decided instead to cancel the trip altogether , shipping the goods to Gaza by other means , IRNA said . `` The Zionist regime has sent a letter to the U.N. saying that the presence of Iranian and Lebanese ships in the Gaza area will be considered a declaration of war on that regime and it will react to it , '' he said , according to the news agency . He added : `` In order to deprive the Zionist regime of any excuse , the aid collected for the oppressed people of Gaza will be delivered to them by other means without mentioning the name of Iran . '' In a posting on the Israel Defense Forces website , the chief of the general staff said Israel has `` a natural right to inspect and to prevent the flow of weapons into the Gaza Strip . '' `` If anyone is bothered by the situation in the Gaza Strip and wants to transfer medical supplies there , they can respect our guidelines and go through to the Ashdod port , '' Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi said Tuesday , according to the IDF . `` We will inspect them , and if we can we will transfer them in . '' Ashkenazi added , `` It is important that we maintain this right and we can not let the Gaza Strip turn into an Iranian port . '' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this month Israel 's plans to ease its blockade of Gaza , a step commended by major powers and brushed off by Palestinian leaders . Palestinian officials said the steps were an improvement but urged that the blockade be completely lifted and the Israeli siege ended . Israel 's announcement came three weeks after ships in Israel 's naval blockade sparred on May 31 with a flotilla of aid ships heading to Gaza . Israel 's military stopped the flotilla , killing nine activists on one of the ships in the incident , which drew international condemnation . Israel said its troops were attacked with knives , metal poles and other objects on one of the boats ; the boat 's passengers said they were fired upon without provocation . CNN 's Shirzad Bozorgmehr contributed to this report .
Tehran disputes earlier reports that plan to send ships had been scrapped . Time of shipment to be coordinated after consulting other nations . Comment: