Iran shipping rockets on commercial flights to Hizbullah

TEL AVIV — Iran has increased the transport of Katyusha rockets to the Lebanese Hizbullah movement.

Israeli military sources said that Iran has sent Katyusha rockets aboard flights from Teheran directly to Beirut. In the past, Iran would send the rockets to Damascus and they would be transported by land to Lebanon.

The sources said the air flights avoid Turkey, which several weeks ago intercepted an Iranian commercial flight on suspicion that it contained Katyusha rockets to Hizbullah.

Iran is sending 107 mm and 122 mm rockets, both with a range of 20 kilometers. The sources said Iran is also sending the Fajr, or improved Katyusha rocket, with a range of more than 40 kilometers.

The Fajr can strike the suburbs of the Israeli northern city of Haifa.

The sources said Hizbullah is preparing for a war with Israeli troops along the northern border. They said Hizbullah is paying Lebanese demonstrators $10 a day to throw stones and firebombs at Israeli installations over the border fence.

On Tuesday, United Nations officials cancelled a meeting to discuss a reduction of peacekeeping troops along the Israeli border with Lebanon. Officials said they did not want to prompt an angry Lebanese government reaction.

The UN has several times called on Beirut to deploy troops along the border.