Iran accused of smuggling weapons

JERUSALEM, June 10 (UPI) -- A U.N. report accuses Iran of shipping arms to militants around the Middle East, Israeli defense analysts said Friday.

The Jerusalem Post said it obtained the report, which was submitted three weeks ago to the Security Council by experts who monitor compliance with sanctions on Iran.

The report documents 10 instances of smuggling, one involving the cargo ship Victoria, which the Israeli navy caught earlier this year carrying arms for Hamas in Gaza.

In the latest case cited, British forces in Afghanistan found Iranian-made anti-ship missiles and rockets sent to the Taliban.

In March, Turkish authorities stopped an Iranian cargo plane bound for Syria, which the U.N. report says contained AK-47 rifles and nearly 2,000 mortar shells from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The report also says Iran tested two advanced long-range missiles, the Shihab 3 and the Sajil, in February but did not report the tests.

Tal Inbar of Israel's Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies said the tests were important since Iran is trying to hide its ballistic missile program.