Russian Fleet Protects Iranian Ships Smuggling Arms, Israelis Say.

Russian Fleet Protects Iranian Ships Smuggling Arms, Israelis Say. Amid confused reports of a drone attack on an Iranian ship in the Mediterranean on its way to Syria, Iran appears to have moved its weapons shipments to Syria and Lebanon from the land — where Israel has regularly tracked and destroyed them — to ships that may be receiving protection from Russian vessels in the Mediterranean. At the same time, defense sources here say Israel has intensified its aerial attacks on targets in Syria once the weapons are delivered by sea. The last such attack was on April 22. Israeli defense sources here say the Iranian ships sail from the Red Sea, transit the Suez Canal and arrive in the Mediterranean. The defense sources say the ships documents claim they carry only oil, but there are indications that “oil is not the only cargo.”