The IDF confirmed that Iran has been constructing underground weapons factories in Lebanon.
The Iranian weapons factories built in Lebanon are funded by the Revolutionary Guard to provide terrorists organizations, mainly Hezbollah, with weapons.
The factory’s locations in Lebanon are intentional as to avoid Israeli strikes preventing weapon transfers.
A report was surfaced after IDF Military Intelligence Director, Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi, reported to a newspaper in Kuwait of the factory. According to Halevi, factories were built in Lebanon as Israel avoids conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon and would be less likely to carry out strikes.
Weapons transfers by land from Syria and at times by sea have been subject to IDF airstrikes.
On Monday, Israel’s Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced that Israel is “fully aware” and that Israel “won’t ignore the establishment of Iranian weapons factories in Lebanon.” He added “There’s no need for either hysteria or euphoria on this issue,” and that “I don’t think that in either Syria or Lebanon, where they’re aware of the depth of our intelligence, they think that it’s a good idea to test our military capabilities.
In March, intelligence was released of several factories having been built and funded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard in Lebanon. According to reports at the time, Iran gave the factories and productions lines to Hezbollah which has been running them since January of 2017.
The factories reportedly produce guns and rockets and missiles with capabilities of reaching as far as 500 kilometers. Hezbollah has also been reportedly testing some of the weapons in Syria’s civil war, several of the tests reported successful as Hezbollah continues to grow its rocket supply.
Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal is reported to be 10 times larger than during the Second Lebanon War.
This article originally appeared on Behold Israel, July 3, 2017, and reposted with permission.