Herzliya, Israel. Cyprus and Greece could play an important role in a wider regional security architecture stretching from India and the Gulf to the eastern Mediterranean, Israel’s defence ministry director general Maj Gen (ret.) Amir Baram said on Wednesday. He said recent conflicts had highlighted shared strategic interests among regional actors in response to Iran’s military strengthening.
Regional security proposal
Speaking at the Herzliya Conference hosted by Reichman University, Baram said the threat posed by Iran requires not only stronger Israeli defence capabilities but also an expansion of Israel’s strategic partnerships across the region.
According to Baram, recent conflicts have shown regional actors the costs associated with Iran’s military build-up and created a shared interest in building a broader strategic axis “from India, through the United Arab Emirates, to Greece and Cyprus”.
Security and economic cooperation
Baram said Israel’s technological and operational expertise, combined with the economic power of Gulf states, could form the basis of a new “security and economic front” spanning a large part of the region.
“The war has shown all regional players the cost of Iran’s military build-up,” Baram said, adding that this had created new opportunities for cooperation among countries with shared strategic interests.
United States relationship
Baram said that expanding regional partnerships should not be seen as a substitute for Israel’s strategic alliance with the United States. He said stronger regional cooperation could increase Israel’s strategic flexibility and strengthen its international standing.
He also referred to a new US-Israel security memorandum currently under discussion, saying that the relationship between Washington and Jerusalem should be based not only on shared values but also on concrete strategic interests.
Broader regional context
The remarks come amid broader regional discussions on new security and economic frameworks linking countries in the eastern Mediterranean, the Gulf and South Asia, against a backdrop of continued tensions involving Iran and shifting geopolitical alliances in the wider region.
