On June 19, the London-based Al Quds Al Arabi reported that two Israel Navy vessels accompanied the U.S. carrier group through the canal. In a June 21 statement, the U.S. Navy did not cite Israeli participation.

"I am very proud of the men and women of the Truman Carrier Strike Group as we join the Fifth Fleet," Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, said.

"We have trained hard to support our troops on the ground in Afghanistan and we look forward to working with our regional maritime partners to enhance interoperability and security," Driscoll said.

Officials said the U.S. passage through the Suez marked a major security and safety effort. They said the Egyptian military facilitated the voyage of the carrier group without incident.

"I was surprised by how close we were to land," Jason Kowalski, a sailor aboard Truman, said.