Iranian involvement in the German company from which Israel purchases its submarines is marginal, a senior defense ministry official said Saturday. Israeli media reported last week that the Iranian government is a minority shareholder in ThyssenKrupp, the German company that designs Israeli naval ships and submarines. According to reports, an Iranian foreign investment company owns 4.5% of the German shipbuilding company, and over the years the Essen-based company has paid Tehran millions of euros in dividends. "I was not aware of any Iranian involvement [in the submarines procurement deals] but it is a marginal one. Iran does not sell submarines to Israel -- if it were up to them we wouldn't have any," Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amos Gilad, head of political-military affairs at the Defense Ministry, said Saturday in a cultural event held in central Israel. He noted that "while this is marginal involvement it nonetheless has to be looked into. Israel purchases submarines from the German government, and the two governments maintain strict confidentiality agreements pertaining to submarine designs." Gilad also commented on Israel's ties with Saudi Arabia. "If you ask the Saudis who their main enemies are -- they used to say Israel but now they would say Iran. I wouldn't call it an alliance, but rather a strategic interest based on the need to address mutual threats, and their understanding that Israel is a positive force," he said.
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שיתוף כתבה
'Iranian involvement in firms producing submarines is minor'
Israeli media alleges the Iranian government is a minority shareholder in the German company that designs Israeli naval ships and submarines • "While this is marginal involvement it nonetheless has to be looked into," top Defense Ministry official says.