Wagner to Deliver Weapon; Syrian President Assad to Send Hezbollah Missile Defense System
According to a report by news agency CNN, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad consented to provide the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah with an SA-22, also known as Pantsir, missile defense system manufactured in Russia.
The report said that Wagner company, a Russian mercenary company that has been working in Syria for over ten years, has been assigned the duty of delivering the missile defense system, but it did not clarify whether the equipment has been deployed or how close it is to being delivered. Russia first gave the Syrian government access to the system.
According to the US intelligence officers quoted in the CNN story, they arrived with this judgment after learning about conversations between Hezbollah, Wagner, and Assad on the missile system’s delivery.
Similar to Wagner, Hezbollah has been operating in Syria for a number of years, collaborating with the Syrian and Russian armed forces to bolster Assad and eradicate his armed opponents.
Bashar al-Assad has a strong friend in Iran.
This new development will worry Israel because Hezbollah may implement its threats to Israel following the attacks on October 7th, which were led by Hamas, regarding the opening of a new front in Israel’s war against Hamas on the country’s northern border with Lebanon. Hezbollah has a new air defense system.
Reports of these advances are being made even though the US has warned Iran and Hezbollah not to join the conflict.
According to the article, it is still unknown how much of an impact Russia had on the choice to provide the equipment to Hezbollah. Russia’s hosting of Hamas officials in Moscow has infuriated Israel.
Iran and its friends and proxies, according to US intelligence services, are moderating their reaction to Israel’s military participation in Gaza because they also do not want to get into a confrontation with Israel or the US.
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, is expected to deliver a significant address on Friday. According to the US intelligence community, Iran does not have the influence over the Lebanese terrorist organization that many think it does, nor does it have a strong grip over Lebanese politics.
