Hezbollah may have acquired Russian anti-ship missiles, which it can use against American warships, Reuters reported on Nov. 8.
Earlier last week, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah warned Washington that his group had something in store for the U.S. vessels deployed to the region since war erupted last month in Israel.
According to unnamed Reuter sources, Nasrallah may have been referring to Hezbollah's anti-ship missile, including the Russian-made Yakhont missile with a range of 300 km (186 miles).
Hezbollah may have received the Yakhont missiles while helping President Bashar al-Assad fight a civil war in Syria over ten years ago. However, the group has never confirmed possessing the weapon.
The Yakhont missile was first developed in 1993 and can be launched from the air, the ground, or submarines.
When asked about Hezbollah possibly having acquired the missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov suggests that "this is news without any confirmation at all. We do not know if it is true or not."
Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Wagner Group may be providing Pantsir anti-aircraft systems to Hezbollah. The transfer is still unconfirmed according to U.S. officials.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has thus far refrained from fully entering Israel's war with Hamas, although there have been crossborder clashes.
Nonetheless, Wagner Group providing an advanced air-defense system like the Pantsir would likely be considered a significant step and sign of Russia's troubled relations with Israel.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
