Dec 7, 2010
- Tehran arms Hezbollah, Hamas, often via Arab, African countries
- U.S. condemns Syria’s compliance
- Nigeria intercepted Iranian weapons shipment
American secret cables reveal that the United States tried to stop the supply of Iranian weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas and encouraged other states to act accordingly.
Iran has a long history of using Hezbollah and Hamas as proxies for attacking Israel. It transfers weapons to the terrorist groups, sometimes through Arab countries, in violation of United Nations Resolution 1747 that bans the smuggling of Iranian arms and sensitive materials.
Washington urged Arab and African governments, including Sudan, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Chad to prevent the transfer of arms and informed them of the arms’ terrorist destinations.
The U. S. asked them to inspect arriving flights or deny rights to fly over their territory.
For example, the U.S. warned Sudan in January 2009 not to allow "the delivery of unspecified Iranian arms that were expected to be passed to Hamas in the Gaza Strip," at about the same time as Operation Cast Lead.
It is understood Khartoum failed to prevent a convoy carrying the weapons from making its way across Sudan. Aircraft attacked the convoy and Sudan believed the U.S. was behind the strike.
In March 2009, both Jordan and Egypt were "informed by the U.S. of new Iranian plans to ship cargo of 'lethal military equipment' to Syria with onward transfer to Sudan and then to Hamas," the British newspaper The Guardian reported.
Syria protested the U.S. claim that it was "sending sophisticated weapons to Hezbollah" but was found to be doing just that, The New York Times reported.
The flow of arms from Syria was of concern to the Obama administration. Just months later, the Pentagon revealed that Hezbollah's arsenal included "up to 50,000 rockets and missiles, including some 40 to 50 Fateh-110 missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and most of Israel, and 10 Scud-D missiles," The New York Times added.
Egypt and Jordan did attempt to prevent weapons from reaching their destinations.
Egypt dismantled a "Hezbollah cell in Sinai" and took steps to disrupt the passage of Iranian arms from Sudan to Gaza through its soil.
Jordan publicized Hamas' attempts to smuggle weapons via its territory into the West Bank and denied a Syrian request for an overflight that contained weapons for Hezbollah.
Nigeria intercepted a shipment containing "rockets and other explosives" that originated in Iran, Al Jazeera reported in November 2010.
Timeline of Iran supplying Hamas and Hezbollah
- Israeli intelligence reports that Hezbollah possesses 40,000 rockets, 26,000 more than it did before the Second Lebanon War.[1]
- Hezbollah has Iranian Zelzal-2 ballistic missiles, capable of carrying a 1300lb (600kg) warhead with a maximum range of 124 miles (200km), placing all major Israeli cities in range of Hezbollah fire.[2]
- Hezbollah has sophisticated M-6002 missiles— from Syria to Hezbollah with the help of 10,000 operatives.[3]
- Syria mass-produced and delivered new, farther-traveling Scud-D missiles to Lebanon that travel as far as 435 miles (700km) and can carry chemical or biological warhead.[4]
- Iran provided Hezbollah with $200 million in 2008 to fund its terrorist activities, and has trained 3,000 Hezbollah militants in Iranian camps.[5]
- On May 29, 2009, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah declared on Al-Manar television that Iran is unconditionally arming and supporting Hezbollah.[6] [more]
 |
| Iranian Arms Shipment Intended for Hezbollah Intercepted by Israel Navy (Photo: Israel Defense Forces) |
