Iran’s Threat to Attack Israel’s Gas Platforms

Israel’s energy sector faces an increasingly complex security landscape, with threats emerging from multiple fronts. Recent events have underscored the risks to critical energy infrastructure and highlighted the need for a comprehensive security strategy. An attempted attack on the Karish gas platform using Hezbollah UAVs a few days ago, intercepted by Israel’s Navy C-Dome system, highlights potential threats to critical energy infrastructure. Although the immediate threat was neutralized, this incident emphasizes the risks associated with possible attempts to destroy key energy facilities.

The Karish platform, along with the Leviathan reservoir, provides a significant portion of Israel’s domestic gas consumption and supports exports to neighboring countries. A full-scale war involving Hamas, Iran, Houthis, and Hezbollah, capable of suspending production at Israeli gas platforms, would not only affect Israel’s energy market but also impact neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt, which depend on Israeli gas imports. Moreover, such disruptions could jeopardize plans for gas supplies to Europe, causing repercussions for the European energy market and affecting European efforts to diversify from Russian gas.

Hamas’s attack on October 7 has already resulted in a month-long suspension of the Tamar platform, necessitating the redirection of gas from the Leviathan reservoir for domestic use, demonstrating the potential impact of such threats on energy supply. The potential closure of the Karish and Leviathan platforms could also impact Israel’s energy supply, forcing it to switch to more expensive and more polluting coal and even diesel fuel. Fortunately, Israel has stockpiled alternative fuels and backup equipment in advance to mitigate these risks. The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has ensured the availability of reserves to maintain electricity production even in extreme conditions. Israel’s adaptive approach could serve as an example for countries facing similar challenges. However, this strategy addresses only domestic needs and does not resolve the disruptions in regional supply chains. Hence, these attacks could potentially impact both regional energy supply chains and domestic energy needs.

To further strengthen regional energy security, it would be beneficial to conclude a regional energy treaty, possibly based on the already existing East Mediterranean Gas Forum, which brings together most of the East Mediterranean countries, including Israel, as we propose in our article “The East Mediterranean Gas Forum as a Platform for a Regional Energy Treaty”. Such a treaty could promote closer cooperation between members and have a binding structure, which would help stabilize the regional energy market and provide a more sustainable response to geopolitical threats of energy facility destruction. In addition to the regional energy treaty, the development of a trans-Mediterranean electric cable connecting Israel’s grid with that of Europe would also help to guarantee Israel’s energy security. This infrastructure project would diversify energy sources and create a more resilient energy network, reducing vulnerability to localized threats and enhancing overall energy stability in the region. Thus, these measures would not only benefit Israel but also contribute to the stability and resilience of the broader Eastern Mediterranean and European energy markets.

* Prof. Arie Reich is the Vice Rector of Bar Ilan University and an expert on International Law and Mr. Igor Klotsman is a doctoral student in the Bar Ilan University Faculty of Law.