Wagner Group Preparing To Arm 'Hezbollah or Iran', U.S. Intel Shows

The United States said on Tuesday that Russia’s mercenary Wagner group is preparing to provide an air defence system to 'either Hezbollah or Iran' at Moscow’s direction, as the White House officials put it, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

Speaking to reporters via conference call, National Security Council's John Kirby said that Washington was prepared to use counter-terrorism sanctions against Russian individuals or entities that might make the “destabilising transfers”.

“We will closely monitor for whether Wagner provides military equipment to Hezbollah or Iran,” Kirby said.

Washington’s assessment comes as evidence emerged that Wagner, which has been sanctioned by the U.S. as a "criminal organization", still using its headquarters in St Petersburg months after the site was raided by Russian security forces following former leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s aborted march on Moscow.

When asked by TURAN whether Washington would be open to designating Wagner as a terrorist organization, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told Tuesday's briefing that the U.S. has taken a number of steps to hold Wagner accountable, "including the designated you mentioned, including multiple sanctions for its activities in Ukraine, its activities in Africa – and we will continue to do so."

Kirby also told a briefing that Washington was aware that Iran has been providing Russia with “significant numbers” of drones, guided aerial bombs and artillery ammunition in its war in Ukraine. In return for that support, “Russia has been offering Tehran unprecedented defence cooperation including on missiles, electronics and air defence”.

He also shared newly-declassified intelligence which suggests this military cooperation could stretch to Hezbollah.