Defence Min Warns Of Iran Red Sea Activity

Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has laid out what he states is "the most significant presence in a decade" of the Iranian military in the Red Sea. Speaking at the Annual Economist Governance Roundtable in Greece, Gantz stated that "The presence of Iran's military forces in the Red Sea in recent months is the most significant in a decade. It is a direct threat to trade, energy and the global economy...Iran is expanding its aggressive operations in the region in general, and in the naval arena in particular,”, adding that the patrols were "unusual".

• Gantz met with his Greek and Cypriot counterparts on the sidelines of the meetings, with East Med security a hot-button topic at present following Lebanon-based Hezbollah launching three unarmed drones to attempt to surveil an Israeli gas rig in the East Med.
• The Israeli minister also talked about the potential threat posed by Iran's new Zuljanah satellite launcher, stating that "Iran's recent experiment with a satellite launcher whose technology can help develop a terrestrial missile with a range of thousands of kilometers - could also threaten Central Europe."
• Raising the prospect of an attack on mainland Europe from a nuclear Iran could be seen as an attempt by Gantz to ensure a very hawkish stance from the US and EU following talks with Tehran in Doha last week.