Hezbollah's new missile specialized in ‘destroying all military battleships'

The weapon is "specialized in destroying all military battleships of all kinds, and annihilating all who are on board," it said under a photo of the new missile.   

The tweet, widely covered in the Israeli media, said the surface-to-sea missile was unveiled by the resistance group about a month and a half ago.

Last month, Hezbollah released footage and pictures of an anti-ship missile that struck the INS Hanit, a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli navy built by Northrop Grumman, during the 2006 Second Lebanon War. According to the Israeli military, four soldiers were killed in one of the most significant attacks in the war.

In a documentary aired on Lebanon's al-Manar TV channel marking the war, Hezbollah broadcast reconnaissance footage of the ship from the Lebanese coastline, preparations for the launch of the missile, the operations room which directed the strike as well as nighttime footage which showed the impact of the missile.

Last week, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the movement observes “no red lines” any longer in responding to Israel after a drone incursion into Lebanon on August 25 was retaliated by the group.

“It is the right of the Lebanese to defend their country and sovereignty, and there will be no red lines,” he said.

“Despite all the threats and intimidation, today we are affirming the balance of power and reinforcing the deterrent force that protects our country,” Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah was established following the 1982 Israeli invasion and occupation of southern Lebanon. The movement drove out Israeli forces from Lebanon in May 2000.

Since then, the group has grown into a powerful military force, dealing repeated blows to the Israeli military, including during a 33-day war in July 2006.