Wagner was preparing to provide the capability at the direction of the Russian government, Kirby said. But CNN previously reported that the Wagner Group had been tasked with carrying out the delivery of a surface-to-air SA-22 missile system from Syria to the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad agreed to provide Hezbollah with the Russian-made missile defense system, known as a Pantsir, two people familiar with the intelligence told CNN last month. “We will closely monitor for whether Wagner provides military equipment to Hezbollah or Iran,” Kirby said. Hezbollah is an ally of Hamas, the group that attacked Israel on October 7, and has long positioned itself as fighting against Israel.

Source: CNN November 21, 2023 20:15 UTC