U.S.: Syria providing broader range of missiles to Hezbollah

Syria is providing a “wider array” of missiles to Hezbollah, a US diplomat said Friday, stopping short of accusing Damascus of supplying Scuds to the Lebanese Shiite group.

“We are concerned with the broadening nature of cooperation between Syria and Hezbollah,” said a senior State Department official, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Damascus is “providing a wider array of missiles to Hezbollah,” the diplomat added, but refused to accuse Syria of delivering the high-grade weapons to Hezbollah.

“As to the narrower question of do we have evidence of Scuds crossing into Lebanon, that’s something … to watch carefully,” the official said.

President Barack Obama’s administration has warned that “all options” were on the table if Syria is found to have supplied Scud missiles to Hezbollah, which would dramatically increase the Lebanese militia’s ability to attack Israel.

Israeli officials have accused Syria of supplying Hezbollah with Scuds but Damascus has vehemently denied the charge.