From Future Projections to Present Reality

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah let fire an interesting threat in his speech to followers today. Given he has more credibility on the use of anti-ship missiles than say - even the United States - it is worth paying attention to.

"If you launch a new war on Lebanon, if you blockade our coastline, all military, civilian or commercial ships heading through the Mediterranean to occupied Palestine will be targetted by the Islamic resistance," said Nasrallah in a speech transmitted via video link to thousands of supporters massed in Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburbs.

"Whether along the northern or southern Israeli shore, we can target ships, bomb them and hit them God willing," he added, speaking on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after a 22-year occupation.

"When the world sees how these ships are destroyed, no one will dare go there (Israel)," he added. "And I am only speaking about the Mediterranean, I haven't reached the Red Sea yet."

If Hezbollah has been resupplied anti-ship missiles from Iran, which is the unspoken implication being made by this threat, then anti-access / area denial is no longer the threat of the future...

It has become the threat of the present.