As tension in the Gulf rises as a result of the war of words between the United States and Iran, and after the attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Israel is raising its alert level in anticipation of the targeting of its ships, the Haaretz newspaper said.
The newspaper added that the Israeli government took new measures, following the detention of the British oil tanker in recent days from Iran, in anticipation of targeting Israeli ships trade and military, or those on its way to the ports of Israel.
Israel was taking various steps to confront such threats at sea and the various shipping routes close to and far from Israel.
The newspaper revealed that an Israeli security team recently met, and concluded that Iran has become an important player, not only in the waters of the Gulf, but also in the eastern Mediterranean, and it poses a threat to Israeli ships and maritime transport through the Red Sea.
Tensions have been rising in the Gulf for months, especially after the attack on oil tankers at the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates in mid-May, and after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards dropped an American aircraft in Iranian airspace on June 20.
On July 6, the British Navy detained an Iranian tanker in the Strait of Gibraltar, saying it was transporting oil to Syria, a violation of US and European sanctions on the Syrian regime.
Iran protested this detention as a maritime piracy and denied that the detained tanker was destined for Syria.
Two days ago, Iran seized a British tanker in Gulf waters and accused it of "failing to observe international maritime laws."