The American website "Axios" reported that the United States and Israel held secret discussions about Iran last week to consider a potential "Plan B" if nuclear talks are not resumed. According to "Axios," the bilateral meeting took place via a video call led by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart Eyal Hulata. A spokesperson for the White House confirmed to "Axios" that the United States remains engaged in ongoing consultations with the Israeli government regarding a range of issues concerning the challenge posed by Iran.
In the context of the ongoing so-called maritime shadow war between Iran and Israel since 2019, recently retired Israeli Navy Chief Eli Sharvit revealed that his country has significantly increased its activities in the Red Sea to confront rising Iranian threats to Israeli shipping. In an interview with the Associated Press, just days after the end of his five-year term, he stated that the Israeli naval forces are capable of striking wherever necessary to protect their economic and security interests. While he refrained from discussing a series of attacks and incidents involving Iranian vessels over the past few months, which have been attributed to Israel, he described Iranian activities at sea as a significant concern for Israel. He also asserted that Israel will protect freedom of navigation worldwide, stating that "this issue is not about how far the threat is from the country."
This statement indirectly confirms Western reports from recent months revealing that around 20 vessels have been attacked by mines, drones, and commandos during the rapidly escalating shadow war between Tehran and Tel Aviv since 2019.
