Munitions seized by Israeli authorities on a ship near Cyprus, are presented in the port of the Israeli city of Ashdod, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Israeli commandos seized a ship Wednesday that defense officials said was carrying hundreds of tons of weapons from Iran bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, the largest arms shipment Israel has ever commandeered.
(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
Hezbollah denies links to seized arms ship
Munitions seized by Israeli authorities on a ship near Cyprus, are presented in the port of the Israeli city of Ashdod, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Israeli commandos seized a ship Wednesday that defense officials said was carrying hundreds of tons of weapons from Iran bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas, the largest arms shipment Israel has ever commandeered.
(AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)
BEIRUT—Hezbollah is denying any links to a ship carrying hundreds of tons of weapons that Israel says was bound for the Iranian-backed guerrilla group.
Israel intercepted the ship Wednesday and said the vessel was carrying weapons from Iran for Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas.
In a statement faxed to The Associated Press on Thursday, Hezbollah said it "categorically denies" any connection to the weapons. The statement also said Israel's actions amounted to "piracy."
The seizure spotlighted dangerous tensions between Israel and Iran. Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear program and long-range missile development, dismissing Iranian denials that it is building nuclear weapons.
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