Lebanon was warned recently by Israeli spokesperson and Israel Defense Force Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis that war could break out between the two countries if Iran continues its development of precision missiles within Lebanon.
Manelis blames the Lebanese government and the “blind eye” of some in the international community who have stood by and watched as Hezbollah, the political and militant arm of the Shiite Islamist political party based in Lebanon, has built an arsenal within the country.
“Lebanon has become – both by its own actions and omissions and by a blind eye from many members of the international community – one large missile factory,” Manelis wrote.
He went on to add that Iran is no longer just funding Hezbollah in Iran’s quest to destroy Israel but rather Iran is “now here.”
“It’s no longer a transfer of arms, funds or consultation. Iran has de-facto opened a new branch, the ‘Lebanon branch.’ Iran is here,” Manelis said.
“In Lebanon, Hezbollah does not conceal its attempt to take control of the state,” Manelis concluded.
Manelis said, while calling out Lebanon’s current Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, that “in the shadow of Nasrallah’s bullying behavior” the terror group has built “terror infrastructure and factories to manufacture weapons under the nose of the Lebanese government.”
According to reports, Hezbollah’s arsenal has “at least 100,000 short-range rockets and several thousand more missiles that can reach central Israel.”
In addition, it is believed that Hezbollah “is able to mobilize close to 30,000 fighters and has flouted its tunnel system, complete with ventilation, electricity, and rocket launchers.”
But there’s even more the Israeli Army should be concerned about when it comes to Hezbollah’s next step in a “potential” war with Israel.
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Professor Shaul Chorev, a former deputy chief of naval operations, recently told The Jerusalem Post, that “Hezbollah will use ‘suicide ships’ in the next war with Israel.”
“Hezbollah will not need to equip themselves with ships like Israel, but we must assume they will use asymmetric warfare to challenge Israeli technology like land-to-sea missiles or suicide ships like you see in Yemen,” Chorev said.
While Chorev doesn’t necessarily believe it is Hezbollah’s intent to start a war with Israel, he does believe that the group will “target Israeli strategic assets.”
“The next war with Hezbollah could see a focus on the sea,” Chorev said.
It appears that senior naval officers disagree with Chorev’s belief that Hezbollah doesn’t want war with Israel, calling Hezbollah a “clear and major enemy” due to their growing knowledge of battlefield experience and their arsenal of advanced weaponry from Iran, which they claim has expanded due to the civil war in Syria.
Chorev does agree, however, that “Iran is gaining a foothold and has exploited the situation in Syria in order to upgrade its status to almost that of a regional superpower.”
He stated, “Iran “is on the verge of reaching the Mediterranean, including the use of Syrian ports by the Iranian navy.”
“Iranian ports in the Eastern Mediterranean are a real risk for Israel,” Chorev said, while stressing that the United States and Russia must stop the Iranian navy from making further gains in Syria.
Is it any surprise that Iran is helping Hezbollah and building an arsenal in Lebanon when it has a history of helping Hamas in order to help Iran?
It would also appear from reports that Iran is not only assisting Hezbollah in its advances against Israel in Lebanon but Iran has “encouraged” Hamas to “retain its security control over the Gaza Strip so that the Iranians can hold onto another power base in the Middle East, as it does with Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
Apparently, Iran informed Hamas late last year, “If you want us to continue providing you with financial and military aid, you must continue to hold on to your weapons and reject demands to disarm.”
Many who follow Bible prophecy aren’t shocked by the latest accusations by Manelis, Chorev and others when it comes to Hezbollah and Iran.
The Bible speaks of the War of Ezekiel 38-39 in which Iran (Persia), led by Russia (Magog), and a coalition of other countries will eventually go to war against Israel.
Are the latest revelations about events in Lebanon and Iran’s increased presence and power merely preparations for The Ezekiel War?
Time will tell.
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Susan Calloway Knowles is a licensed psychotherapist, former practicing Family Law attorney, online conservative radio talk show personality and producer at Stand For Truth Radio.