Iran ramps up Hezbollah weapons shipments as US, Europe up diplomatic pressure to prevent Lebanon war

The Iranian regime has significantly increased its weapons shipments to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah in recent months, despite diplomatic efforts by the United States and European countries to prevent the ongoing conflict between Hezbollah and Israel from escalating into a full-blown war.

Among the most significant weapons systems Iran recently supplied are additional anti-aircraft defense systems, which could threaten Israel’s air superiority, according to Ynet News.

In recent months, Hezbollah forces have attempted to shoot down Israeli aircraft numerous times, successfully hitting and intercepting five IDF drones.

On April 6, Hezbollah shot down an Israeli drone. It was a Hermes 900 drone, according to Hezbollah. Hezbollah's published documentation leads us to believe that an Iranian anti-aircraft missile of type "358" launched against the drone. Pay close attention to the green rectangle… pic.twitter.com/9RKqpmdT2L

— Israel-Alma (@IsraelAlmaorg) April 7, 2024

Iranian shipments reportedly also contain advanced Almas anti-tank missiles, an Iranian development based on the Israeli Spike missile that Hezbollah obtained during the Second Lebanon War in 2006.

The missiles have a long range and are highly accurate, thanks to a camera in the warhead that allows the operator to guide them in flight.

The Iranian regime regularly supplies weapons to Hezbollah, its main military proxy in the region, via a sophisticated network of smuggling routes spanning across Iraq and Syria into Lebanon.

The IDF has struck trucks and convoys carrying these shipments multiple times over the past decade.

Efforts to reach a diplomatic solution continue behind the scenes, despite appearing stalled. Both U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Jerusalem and Beirut in recent weeks but left without achieving tangible results.

The Times of Israel reported that American, European, and even Arab mediators have warned Hezbollah not to be overconfident in its ability to take on the Israel Defense Forces in an all-out war.

The message being transmitted to the Lebanese terror group is, “Don’t think that you’re as capable as you think you are,” said Gerald Feierstein, a former senior U.S. diplomat in the Middle East.

Feierstein noted that although the exchanges of fire have lessened somewhat since peaking about a week ago, neither side appears to have decided to restrain their attacks to avoid a broader war.

“It certainly seems the Israelis are still… arranging themselves in the expectation that there will be some kind of conflict… an entirely different magnitude of conflict,” he said.

The U.S. has delivered multiple warnings to Hezbollah, including a statement last week that the terror group should not count on the U.S. holding back Israel in the event of a potential regional war that could involve Iran.

The U.S. bolstered its naval forces in the Eastern Mediterranean last week, reportedly to prevent the ongoing armed conflict from escalating into an all-out war, which the U.S. fears could potentially engulf the entire region. Naval forces moved the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp to the region this week, with an official confirming, “It’s about deterrence.”