NEWS
Wagner to defend Hezbollah, Iran from U.S. strikes
US and Iran-backed forces are attacking each other in the aftermath of the Hamas-Israel war
The United States said Tuesday that Russia's Wagner mercenary group plans to provide an air defense system to Lebanon's Hezbollah militants or to the regime in Tehran, as US fighter jets struck two targets in Iraq early on Wednesday killing five pro-Iran fighters.
"Our information… indicates that Wagner, at the direction of the Russian government, was preparing to provide an air defense capability to either Hezbollah or Iran," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters in Washington.
"We are certainly prepared to use our counterterrorism sanctions authorities against Russian individuals or entities that might make these destabilizing transfers," Kirby said.
He added that Iran was "considering providing Russia with ballistic missiles now for use in Ukraine in return for that support."
The Wall Street Journal, quoting unidentified US officials, said earlier this month that Wagner was preparing to supply the Pantsir-S1, a Russian self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and missile system known as SA-22 by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Meanwhile, a US warplane struck the vehicle of Iranian-backed fighters in Iraq after they had fired a short-range ballistic missile at US and allied personnel, the Pentagon said.
An Iraqi security force official said Wednesday's strikes killed five fighters of the Hezbollah Brigades, a pro-Iran group within Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization) force. A Hashed official confirmed the death toll.
It was the first time the US has announced a strike on Iran-backed forces in Iraq since they launched a flurry of attacks against American targets in response to Washington's support for Israel in its war to destroy Hamas.
Washington has targeted Iran-backed groups in neighboring Syria, however, carrying out strikes on three occasions in recent weeks.
Since the Gaza war erupted with a deadly Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October, US forces deployed in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 66 times, most recently on Monday night, according to Pentagon officials.