The Iranian weapons of Hezbollah and Hamas

Iran invests great efforts in smuggling weapons to their proxies especially the terrorist organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, especially Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad). They have also sent large funds to support the reconstruction and upgrading of their military infrastructures. 

It should be noted that Israel has repeatedly spoken out about Iran’s strategic endeavor in providing weapons for terrorist organizations, opposition forces, subversive elements and foreign countries is an important factor in Iranian strategy, which seeks to establish and lead an extremist camp, promote terrorism and subversion, and achieve regional hegemony in the focal areas of the Middle East (among them Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Iraq, Yemen, Bahrain) and abroad (among them  East and West Africa, Latin America, Central Asia).

Over the years the Iranians continually learn lessons from the interceptions of their arms shipments which they attempt to smuggle to their destinations by sea, air or  over land.

The entire smuggling system is supervised and directed by the Iranian leadership and carried out by the Al Quds (Jerusalem) Force of Sepâh, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is Iran’s main tool for exporting its Islamic revolution. The IRGC works in close collaboration with Syria’s security system and terrorist groups acting as Iranian proxies and promoting Iranian goals from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iran has placed a special emphasis on supplying Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad with advanced rocket and missiles like the Fajr-5, which is based on the Chinese WS-1 MLRS.The Fajr-5, is a solid fueled missile with a 175kg  HE) high explosive fragmentation warhead which can reach the center of Israel from Gaza. 

The rocket has a length of 6.485m, a body diameter of 333 mm, and a launch weight of 915 kg. The Fajr-5 mobile launchers used in 2006 carried up to four rockets each.

The Fajr-3 has a range of 43 km while carrying a 45 kg high explosive (HE) warhead. The rocket has a length of 5.2 m, a body diameter of 240 mm, and a launch weight of 407 kg.  Fajr-3 launchers used in 2006 carried up to 14 rockets each.

The Karine A Affair, was a military action in January 2002 in which Israeli forces seized the MV Karine A, a Palestinian freighter found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons, including short-range Katyusha rockets, antitank missiles, and high explosives.

Omer Mahmad Hasa Ahawi, who directed the weapon-smuggling industry for the Palestinian Authority, had failed in two prior attempts to ship weapons from the Hezbollah in Lebanon. Already under the watchful eye of Israel´s Intelligence, his purchase of a large ship in Lebanon in the summer of 2000, for his next attempt, led to the surveillance and other Intelligence work that ultimately doomed his delivery.

At the end of 2001, Israeli Intelligence monitored as the ship was loaded with weapons from Iran and the Hezbollah and concealed with a layer of civilian goods, such as clothes, rice and toys destined for Gaza via Yemen. During the night between January 2-3, 2002, Israeli naval commandos, along with Intelligence personnel, boarded and captured the Karin A and its lethal cargo. The State of Israel confiscated the weapons and distributed the civilian goods to the Palestinians via UNWRA.

The M/V Victoria, built in 2004, which sailed under the Liberian flag. Belonged to the German company Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG and was operated by the French shipping company CMA-CGM. It had set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia and had a stopover at the southern Turkish port of Mersin where it continued to the Egyptian port of Alexandria.

On the morning of March 15, 2011, 200 miles (108 nautical miles) west of Israel’s coast, an IDF navy force intercepted and inspected the cargo ship M/V Victoria. The Victoria was found to be carrying three containers holding some 50 tons of weapons destined for the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip. The weapons were in three containers, concealed behind bales of cotton and sacks of lentils. There were:

1) 230 120 mm mortar shells manufactured in Iran accompanied by a range table.

2) 2,270 M-61 60 mm mortar shells accompanied by a range table. According to the table the type of fuse involved was the AZ111-A2, developed and manufactured by Iran.

3) Six Nasr-1 copies of the Chinese C-704 anti-ship missiles manufactured in Iran that incorporate a radar homing system and have a range of 35 kilometers (20 nautical miles).

5) two naval radars and operating stations for the anti-ship missiles.

5) Instruction manuals in Farsi and range cards for operating the systems. 

6) 66,960 7.62 caliber bullets for Kalashnikov assault rifles.

The seizure of the M/V Victoria was also the first time, Nasr-1 long-range anti-ship cruise missiles manufactured by Iran a reverse engineered Chinese C-704 anti-ship missile was captured, that would have endangered Israeli military and civilian vessels as well as Israeli strategic targets in the Ashdod-Ashqelon region. The operational range of these Iranian made  missiles is 35 kilometers.

The containers with the missiles contained instruction manuals written in Farsi. On the covers were the emblems of Iran and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, proof of the source of the weapons and of the Revolutionary Guards’ Al-Quds Force’s involvement in the attempted smuggling with the collaboration of Syria and the Palestinian terrorist organizations.

The shipment of weapons aboard the M/V Victoria was a gross violation of the sanctions imposed on Iran by the UN Security council. It is also a violation of civilian naval security and transportation regulations governing the shipping of dangerous materials.

“Il Faro Sul Mondo“, an Italian International Politics Magazine website published an article several years ago regarding Hezbollah's home military industries production of a heavy weight mortar that was used and upgraded during the Civil War in Syria. 

These heavy rocket propelled "mortars" positioned along Israel's northern border have become a serious additional threat to the civilian populace of Israel's Northern Border. 

The Borkan (Volcano) heavyweight Mortar -as seen in the photo is a double barrel vehicle mounted weapon that fires a projectile of between 200 (450LBs) to 500(1200LBs) Kg of lethal explosives currently up to a range of 5KMs. 

The mere size of the explosive charge causes massive damage and loss of civilian life 

The heavyweight Borkan rocket propelled mortar shells Hezbollah has armed itself with, which have been vastly improved by Chinese made Iranian provided "extensions" which have improved the original range of about 5 Kms to 11 to 12 Kms. These rocket propelled "Heavy Mortar" rounds but can carry payloads of either 200 to 500 kilograms of lethal explosives. 

These Borkan rocket propelled mortar shells have caused enormous damage to bases and communities within their range.

IDF spokesperson, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, had stated that the rocket used by Hezbollah in the attack on Majdal Shams, which claimed the lives of 12 teenagers and children, was a "Falaq 1" rocket of Iranian origin, manufactured in Iran. "Its warhead - the explosive material - is more than 110 pounds. The forensic findings at the scene indicate this rocket, which is only found with Hezbollah," he emphasized.

According to Arabic publications, it is a rocket developed in the 1990s, produced in Iran. The rocket has a diameter of 9.4 inches, a length of 4.3 feet, and a range of about 6.2 miles. It operates on solid fuel and has a significant warhead. The rocket can be mounted on jeeps and can be launched from ground launchers, and it can also hit naval targets. It weighs 245 pounds and its warhead, as Hagari mentioned, weighs about 110 pounds. An article on Sky News in Arabic claimed that it resembles the Russian BM24 missile.

Since Hezbollah revealed that it uses this rocket, there have been numerous claims of responsibility for firing it in recent months, including towards the settlements of Birnit and Zar'it in the western Galilee. There is an advanced version of the "Falaq 1" – the "Falaq 2" – which has also been used by Hezbollah in its fighting against Israel in recent months. At the beginning of June, it was reported that Hezbollah launched a "Falaq 2" missile into Israeli territory for the first time. 

According to a publication on "Sky News" in Arabic, the rocket has a diameter of 13.1 inches, a warhead weighing 265 pounds, and a range of up to 6.8 miles. It was claimed that the rocket's speed exceeds the speed of sound and that the missile’s load during launch is equivalent to 12 rockets of 4.2 inches. 

Additional publications stated that the rocket could reach an altitude of 2 miles and is launched from ground launchers and warships. It was claimed that the "Falaq 2" has a larger and more powerful engine.

At the beginning of June, a Hezbollah artillery officer said in an interview with the Lebanese channel "Al-Manar," which is affiliated with the organization, that "Falaq 1 and Falaq 2 are missiles that entered the battle based on the restrictions set by the leadership. Other types are heavy and destructive and can destroy an entire post. The Falaq missile has great destructive capability and can also reach targets up to 6.8 miles, its importance lies in its range. Each Falaq missile is equivalent to an airstrike." According to him, Hezbollah fired 20 Falaq 2 missiles in one barrage towards the Miron base, which he said is "equivalent to a fire belt." He added: "We have surprises. We have advanced to Falaq 2 and we will go further."