Rear Admiral (Retired) Professor Shaul Chorev has warned The Jerusalem Post that Israel’s Navy should start preparing its forces for a possible conflict on the open waters with Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon. Chorev warns the rogue terrorist group is about to unleash missiles and suicide ships targeting Israeli strategic assets on the Mediterranean Sea.
“Hezbollah will not need to equip themselves with ships like Israel, but we must assume they will use asymmetric warfare to challenge Israeli technology like land-to-sea missiles or suicide ships like you see in Yemen,” said Chorev, a former Deputy Chief of Naval Operations; Commanding Officer of the Haifa Naval Base and Commanding Officer of an Israeli Naval Flotilla, at the geostrategy conference jointly organized by Haifa University’s Research Center for Maritime Policy & Strategy (HMS) and the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy.
Chorev explains while it is not in Hezbollah’s interest to start a conflict with Israel, “when you look at their strategy, it is clear that they will target Israeli strategic assets.”
“The next war with Hezbollah could see a focus on the sea,” he added.
Chorev’s warning comes after the Israeli Navy and the Air Force’s air defense corps conducted successful tests of the Iron Dome system mounted on the rear of a Sa’ar 5 corvette warships. The Israel government recognizes that 90% of the country’s imports arrive by sea, and it would be prudent to start preparations in defending shipping lanes against enemy incursions.
Other Senior naval officers tell The Post that Iran is behind the rapid armament of Hezbollah, who will ultimately wage war against Israel on other battlefields, such as the Mediterranean Sea.
“Israeli strategic assets. Senior naval officers have told The Post that Hezbollah is a “clear and major enemy,” which continues to grow in terms of battlefield experience and their arsenal of advanced weaponry from Iran, and which has expanded its presence in the eastern Mediterranean due to the civil war in Syria.”
“Iran – which supports the Assad regime in Syria – participates in the war alongside Russia and has exploited the situation in order to upgrade its status in the region to almost that of a regional superpower,” Chorev wrote in a note.
Iran “is on the verge of reaching the Mediterranean, including the use of Syrian ports by the Iranian navy,” he added.
“Iranian ports in the Eastern Mediterranean are a real risk for Israel,” Chorev stated, stressing that US and Russia must be persuaded to stop the Iranian navy from gaining a foothold in Syria.
Further, Chorev believes a maritime war between Israel and Lebanon is highly possible on the Mediterranean Sea. The trigger for the conflict could be a resource war in the heavily dispute waters that covers a triangle of 800sq km (shown above), which is rich in natural resources like gas and oil. Chorev warns since Hezbollah is headquartered in Lebanon and tensions between both countries are rising. The two enemy states are due for an upcoming clash on the Mediterranean.
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