Reports: Russian missiles have not reached Syria

On Thursday, a pro-Hezbollah newspaper had reported that Syrian
President Bashar Assad told a Lebanese TV station a shipment of the S-300s had
already been delivered. In the interview, however, Assad was more vague, saying
he was “committed” to fulfilling existing contracts, according to The Washington
Post.

Russian officials have said that they will deliver the S-300
batteries to Assad’s regime, arguing after the European Union embargo expired
that the missiles would help deter “hotheads.”

The S-300s would be an upgrade for Assad’s forces and would
make it more difficult for Western or Israeli aircraft to take out Syria’s air
defenses.

The U.S. and others have urged Russia not to sell the
missiles to Syria, and Israel has threatened to attack the shipment.