... Both weapons systems indicate a level of sophistication which Hezbollah likely does not possess, but their Iranian backers do. A guided missile system, either from the ground or from UAVs, further implicates the Iranian government in its involvement in this war. A ground based system requires radar and other sophisticated support systems, which require technical expertise and maintenance support, as well as technical training. For Hezbollah to have succeed in this strike using a ground based anti-ship missile system, it would have needed to deploy and fire these missiles without prior testing of the radar along the Lebanese coast. An anonymous Israeli intelligence official claims "about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided [C-802] at the ship late Friday." |