Iran’s ‘floating terror bases’ threat to maritime security: Israel

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant claimed that Israel has 'doubled the attacks on Iran in Syria' since Netanyahu's government came to power

By News Desk, The Cradle

May 23, 2023

https://thecradle.co/article-view/25156/irans-floating-terror-bases-threat-to-maritime-security-israel

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant revealed details on 22 May about what he referred to as Iran’s “secret sea war against Israel,” the Jerusalem Post reported.

During a conference, Gallant said that Iran has been transforming commercial vessels into “floating terror bases” equipped with missile and drone systems.

The defense minister showed images of six vessels as “examples of the Islamic Republic’s attempt to extend its tentacles across the [region] … to establish new fronts against Israel.”

Five of these six Iranian ships are the Shahid Siyavashi, the Shahid Rudaki, the Makran, the Shahid Mahadavi and the Shahid Bagheri, according to the Jerusalem Post.

One of these vessels has recently sailed towards the Gulf of Aden, Gallant said.

“This follows directly on the maritime terrorism Iran has been imposing on the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. It is working to expand its activity to the Indian Ocean, too, and later to the Red Sea and to the Mediterranean Sea as well,” he added.

Lately, Iran has felt an increase in maritime threats against it. US lawmakers recently called on Washington to boost its illegal seizures of Iranian oil shipments at sea.

Over the past two years, the US has illegally plundered numerous Iranian oil shipments, acts that Tehran refers to as maritime piracy. Additionally, the US, in collaboration with Israel and some Gulf states, have established an ‘anti-Iran’ drone fleet in the Persian Gulf.

Iranian drones have also successfully targeted Israeli tankers at sea.

Israel has continuously expressed fear over Iranian maritime capabilities, and particularly over the growing maritime prowess of its Resistance Axis allies, including Hezbollah and Palestinian groups based in Gaza.

“Iran is the biggest threat to the stability of the region and the world. It is prosecuting a war of attrition against Israel,” Gallant lamented.

During the conference, Gallant also claimed to have “doubled the attacks on Iran in Syria” since Benjamin Netanyahu’s government came to power.

Israel has bombed Syria illegally at least a dozen times since the start of 2023. While it claims to be striking Iranian depots and personnel, the strikes more often than not target the Syrian military.

However, Iranian officers have been killed in the Israeli strikes.