Hezbollah allegedly has Russian Onyx / Yakhont anti-ship missiles with a range of 300 km which could pose a threat to US destroyers and aircraft carriers

More than a dozen U.S. ships, including two aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers, are now in the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. At the same time, Reuters reports that the Lebanese group Hezbollah has anti-ship missiles in its arsenal that can hit U.S. ships.

Here's What We Know

Reuters news agency cites an anonymous source who is familiar with the Lebanese group's arsenal. According to him, Hezbollah allegedly has Russian Oniks anti-ship missiles with a range of 300 kilometres. The export version is called Yakhont.

There have never been any official reports of deliveries of these missiles. "Hezbollah has never confirmed receipt of Yakhont / Onyx." The Lebanese group is believed to have acquired the anti-ship missiles from Syria.

The US Department of Defence has sent two aircraft carrier groups to the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean late last month accompanied by Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, including the USS Carney. The latter used Standard family interceptors to destroy drones and missiles fired towards Israel.

The USS Gerald R. Ford was recently joined by an aircraft carrier strike group led by Dwight D. Eisenhower. But its final destination is the Red Sea, where it will reach by passing through the Suez Canal. Several landing ships are already there, including the USS Carter Hall and USS Bataan.

Source: Reuters