Iranian weapons en route to Hamas intercepted by Israeli navy in March 2014. (IDF)
Iranian weapons shipments to Hezbollah and Hamas have increased in the wake of the framework nuclear deal with the P5+1.
Iran has increased weapons shipments to Hezbollah and Hamas over the past several weeks, Israeli officials revealed. The news comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he was resuming missile sales to Iran.
Iran reached a draft nuclear agreement with the P5+1, which includes Russia, earlier this month.
According to a TV report on Israel’s Channel 2, Israel noticed an uptick in weapons shipments from Iran to Hamas and Hezbollah, and even attempts to arm Hamas activists in Judea and Samaria.
“Israel warns: Iran is acting in recent days and weeks to prepare and arm Hezbollah for conflict with Israel, on a large scale,” diplomatic correspondent Udi Segal tweeted afterwards.
The report added that Israeli officials were concerned that sanctions relief will provide Iran with “billions of dollars” to fund terrorism in the region, including increased weapons shipments.
Earlier on Monday, Russia announced that it would lift its ban on selling the sophisticated S-300 air defense missile system to Iran. The system could be used by Tehran to prevent attacks on its nuclear facilities in the event that it does not comply with the terms of the nuclear deal.
“This is a direct result of the legitimacy that Iran is receiving from the nuclear deal that is being prepared, and proof that the Iranian economic growth which follows the lifting of sanctions will be exploited for arming itself and not for the welfare of the Iranian people,” said Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov denied that the move endangers Iran’s neighbors, claiming that the system is “purely defensive” and does not “threaten the security of any state in the region, including, of course, Israel.”
The United States has been selling air missile defense systems to its allies who are threatened by Iran and Russia in an attempt to reduce the odds of war. Russia, last week, condemned these sales as destabilizing and likely to cause an arms race.
By: Sara Abramowicz, United with Israel