Iran transported advanced ASBMs to Hezbollah: Israeli media

• 

The Israeli occupation forces are preparing for a naval confrontation with Hezbollah amid reports of Iran successfully transferring advanced missiles to the Lebanese Resistance group and making progress in the Red Sea, Israeli media reported Sunday.

"The Israeli army is preparing for a deterioration in the maritime arena due to the assessment that the Iranians are advancing ships into the Red Sea and that Hezbollah has dozens of missiles that threaten ships, platforms, and sensitive infrastructure along the coasts, Israeli Walla! website correspondent Amir Bohbot said.

The Israeli Navy increased in February its state of alert in the Red Sea amid fears that Iran would conduct an attack on ships that belong to Israeli businessmen, Israeli Walla! news website reported.

The Israeli website claimed that Iranians attacked in February a ship owned by Eyal Ofer, the chairman of Zodiac Maritime, an international ship management company, almost a month after the UAV attack that targeted the Iranian city of Isfahan.

The Israeli occupation forces allege that Hezbollah has in recent years obtained military equipment that operates underwater, including unmanned vehicles, precision missiles, and even dozens of surface-to-sea missiles that threaten Navy ships, gas rigs, and sensitive and strategic infrastructure along the coast of occupied Palestine.

It is reported that Iran transported the Persian Gulf missile, a single-stage ballistic missile used against naval targets, to Hezbollah as part of the alleged package.

The Khalij Fars missile has a range of around 300km and could reach 700 km with a warhead of 650 kg. It has a guided missile system that has been integrated into it, allowing it to reach an accuracy of eight and a half meters.

Scope of threats expanding

The Israeli occupation warned that the scope of naval threats to the occupation has been growing to include Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Gaza, "but first and foremost is the threat posed by Iran."

There is an increased focus on the maritime arena, as the Israeli security establishment is highly focused on Iranian civilian naval vessels, Bohbot explained, claiming that they have become tools used in military activity in the Red Sea, saying they carry coast-to-sea and surface-to-air missiles, as well as drones, "which is why the Navy today is operating against Iran and Yemen."

In preparation for this escalation in the pace of confrontation, the Israeli Navy will mobilize the first amphibious assault ship, Nahshon, this summer, and during the winter, a second amphibious assault ship will be introduced as well.

At the same time that submarines are being built in Germany, ships are being built in Israeli shipyards, and the NIRIT class missile ships are being replaced.

There is an intention to accelerate the use of uninhabited vessels in attack, patrol, and defense measures, along with accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence tools, which will shorten operational processes.

Khalij Fars specs

• 

The Khalij Fars is a short-range anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) capable of destroying stationary and moving targets at sea.

Iran introduced it for the first time in 2011, and according to Tehran, it is capable of hitting a target 300 km away, its speed exceeds three times the speed of sound, and it has a smart seeker.

The missile has a small radar signature, making it difficult to detect and counter. It is also characterized by its high accuracy. It carries a warhead weighing around 650 kg, and it was designed and manufactured entirely by the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC).

Read next: IRGC Navy announces naval maneuver in support of Palestine

In the past, according to Channel 12, Tehran tried to attack ships that it knew was Israeli in response to attacks on Iranian ships attributed to "Israel". However, the Iranians now decided to change the equation and attack Israeli ships in response to ground attacks.