Energy Ministry Chief Says Stronger Infrastructure Would Expand Israel’s Military Options Against Iran

Yossi Dayan, director general of Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, said on Tuesday at the Israel Energy and Environment Institute’s “Energy Summit 2026” that strengthening national energy infrastructure is strategically tied to Israel’s freedom of action in wartime, including possible strikes on Iran’s energy sites.

Dayan argued that the recent war showed why advance preparation and heavy investment are necessary, saying Israel’s energy resilience directly affects its ability to make security decisions and operate in an emergency. He said one of the main considerations in weighing attacks on enemy energy targets is the expected retaliation against Israel. “If we want decision makers to have more freedom of action on security matters, we need to be much more protected,” he said. “In the end, this is national risk management.”

He added that the energy sector had prepared specific solutions for extreme scenarios in electricity, gas, fuel and water, and that a broad blackout was avoided because of that planning. “The public saw that there was electricity, water and fuel, but behind that was enormous work throughout the war,” he said.

Dayan also called on Israel to avoid relying on a single energy source and urged the advancement of civilian nuclear energy. “In my opinion, nuclear energy is the most efficient and safest energy,” he said, acknowledging political, security and regulatory obstacles, but adding that “if my opinion were heard, that should be Israel’s next energy.” He also said Israel needs independent artificial intelligence capabilities to reduce dependence on foreign actors, and predicted that the electricity transmission grid will no longer be a major bottleneck by 2028.