The Flag of Eritrea. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Israel is operating an intelligence gathering base in the East African nation of Eritrea to monitor Iran’s activities in the Red Sea, the Stratfor Global Intelligence company revealed Tuesday.

The company says it uses a unique, intelligence-based approach to gathering information via open-source monitoring and a global network of human contacts.

In its report on Tuesday, Stratfor wrote: “The tiny country of Eritrea has been accommodating two Middle Eastern rivals in order to face its geopolitical challenges—mainly its fear of invasion by Ethiopia. Iran wants to expand its presence in Eritrea and other East African nations in order to gain influence along the Red Sea, an important route for seaborne international trade. Israel, meanwhile, wants to monitor Iranian activities in the region. By allowing foreign security operations in its territory, Eritrea has become another venue for Israel and Iran’s ongoing rivalry.”

In exchange for resources, possibly including modest amounts of cash and weapons, Eritrea has exhibited a willingness to become a base of support for Middle Eastern powers that want to exert greater influence in the Horn of Africa. As a result, Eritrea and its waters in the Gulf of Aden have become another venue for Iran and Israel’s rivalry. Israel and Iran’s engagement with Eritrea is an extension of their rivalry over the Red Sea, which allegedly led to the bombing of the Yarmouk weapons factory in Sudan, Stratfor reported.