Artificial Intelligence rather than war fronts is what matters most in the Middle East in the coming years, according to Israel, which expects India to crack down on Iran’s IRGC.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, senior Israeli government officials have revealed how initiatives like India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the I2U2 grouping are being seen by Tel Aviv in an entirely different light today.
The officials say the future strategic equations in Middle East will have less to do with ports, railways or shipping lanes and more to do with controlling communication systems, artificial intelligence, semiconductors and other advanced technologies.
“It will not be boots on the ground, but big tech which will determine things,” a senior official told NDTV.
Technology and communications infrastructure are seen as the “real backbone” of the strategic corridors that are coming up in Middle East, Israeli officials explained.
Highlighting Israel’s growing ties with global tech giants who are setting up their research centres in Israel, like Nvidia, Israeli officials said that Israel wants to emerge as the innovation gateway between India, Gulf countries and the West.
During the briefing on the ongoing confrontation with Iran, the Israeli officials have clarified that Israel does not see the operations conducted as a strategy for regime change in Tehran.
Rather, the operations are a strategic attempt at achieving a ‘generational weakening’ of Iran’s military capability.
As per Israeli officials, the aim of Israel has been to dismantle Iran’s missile capability through the destruction of its industrial base.
The officials said that long-range missile systems require huge industrial capacity, and once that system gets disrupted, then it becomes difficult for Iran to develop missiles capable of overwhelming Israel’s air defences.
In addition to this, Israeli officials justified the targeting of Iranian military and proxy group leadership, stressing that it was never meant to kill any individual but to disrupt operational capability.
“When leadership are constantly busy in hiding, relocation, setting up new communication lines, etc., the operational capabilities drop drastically,” an Israeli official explained.
As part of a major diplomatic push, Israeli officials have requested India to take serious measures against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Speaking to NDTV, Israeli officials have revealed that Israel has raised this issue many times with Indian officials and expects India to officially classify the IRGC as a terrorist outfit.
“We have certain expectations from India. 44 countries have already taken some action against IRGC. India needs to consider taking similar steps,” said an Israeli official.
The official said that Israel had conveyed to India that the IRGC poses serious threats not just within Iran’s territory but even outside.
Israeli officials referred to Australia’s decision to label the IRGC as a terrorist outfit and said that the EU has also been taking similar steps.
Meanwhile, it may be noted that Iran’s foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi met officials in New Delhi a couple of weeks ago and said that India remains Iran’s trusted friend.
Israeli officials reiterated that Israel expects India to formally classify Hamas as a terrorist organisation after the October 7 attack.
Although India strongly condemned the attack and termed it as a terrorist act, it did not formally classify Hamas as a terrorist organisation to date.
In a way, Israeli officials view the whole confrontation with Iran in the context of strategic and energy competition in the region.
As per the Israeli officials, the aims of Israel, which included degrading Iran’s missile capability and limiting its military influence in the region, have been “substantially achieved”.