The Israel Navy has received its most advanced warship on Wednesday amidst rising tension between Israel and Iran.
The German-made vessel dubbed ‘Shield’ has been described as a bulwark for vulnerable Mediterranean gas rigs as tensions with Tehran soar over the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist.
With Saar-6 corvette that docked in Haifa port, and three of the same model to follow next year, Israeli navy will bring the number of missile boats deployed in the area to 15. Though small, the navy carries out missions as far away as the Red Sea and the Gulf.
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According to a report, Israel also wants to protect off-shore natural gas fields close to Lebanon, an ancient foe that they have had fruitless U.S. mediated maritime border talks with.
While speaking at the unveiling ceremony at the port yesterday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said: ‘the welcome discovery of the gas fields off Israel’s shore made it necessary to create a plan that will provide a protective envelope.’
Report says that the navy sees a threat to the gas rigs from Lebanon’s Iranian-backed Hezbollah guerrillas, especially after Tehran vowed to retaliate for Friday’s killing of nuclear mastermind Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, which it blamed on Israel.
Speaking with Reuters, an Israel security official said: ‘The Iranians are looking for ‘prestige’ targets like these, that can be hit with low casualties, meaning – they may hope – less chance of escalation.’ ‘The question is whether Hezbollah would strike now.’
Hezbollah who has previously threatened the gas rigs, while responding to Fakhrizadeh’s death said it was in Iran’s hands. Beirut has urged ‘all parties’ to show restraint.
Despite being accuse by Iran of being responsible for thedeath of the Scientist, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the assassination, which came as the region weighs Iran’s changing fortunes with next month’s U.S. presidential handover from Donald Trump to the more diplomacy-minded Joe Biden.
Two experts, Amos Yadlin and Assaf Orion of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies said: the Fakhrizadeh hit may have been ‘timed to narrow the risk of a significant Iranian offensive response in the near term, given the fears in Tehran of a severe offensive overreaction on the part of the Trump administration, and an Iranian desire to facilitate the resumption of contact with the Biden administration.’
Unlike earlier models of Israeli missile boats, the Saar-6 will be fitted with both electronic countermeasures for cruise missiles, which have a flat trajectory, and a maritime version of the Iron Dome system for shooting down high-angle rockets.
These, a senior naval officer said, are precautions against Soviet-designed Yakhont cruise missiles and Iranian-made Khalij Fars rockets that Israel believes are in Hezbollah’s arsenal.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK