What is Nour ballistic missile? Used by Hezbollah against “Israel” for first time this war

Escalations continue between Hezbollah and the Israeli Occupation, the latest of which is the latter officially announcing a ground operation into Lebanese villages near the border to thwart what they claim is Hezbollah infrastructure in the area.

After the killing of Hezbollah’s long-time leader and Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah in an “Israeli” airstrike on Beirut’s Southern Suburbs last Friday, the group vowed to intensify its operations and attacks in response.

In the daily reports of attacks against the “Israeli” army, Hezbollah said Monday its forces targeted the Kfar Giladi Kibbutz with a “noor missile”

This is the first use of the Noor missile by Hezbollah since almost a year of cross-border attacks and skirmishes.

It was last used in the 2006 Lebanon War to strike the Sa'ar 5-class corvette INS Hanit –the flagship of the “Israeli” navy– after which Nasrallah delivered his famous speech after reports circulated of his death in an airstrike at the time.

What is the Noor Missile?

Last year, Hezbollah unveiled its Noor anti-ship missiles, broadcasting videos of it on missile launch platforms.

An earlier Iranian statement described the Noor missile as an Iranian-made cruise missile, primarily designed for anti-ship purposes. It is essentially a modified version of the Chinese missiles C801 and C802.

The Noor missile, first demonstrated by the Iranian armed forces in 1991, has a range between 40 and 170 kilometers, measuring 6.38 meters in length with a diameter of 36 centimeters – according to a report by Saudi Arabia news outlet Al Arabiya.

It weighs 715 kilograms, with a warhead weighing 165 kilograms, and is powered by solid fuel. Reports indicate that the missile reaches speeds of up to 0.9 Mach and is intended for targeting boats or coastal platforms.

It can be launched from the BH-7 helicopter and has also been fitted to Mil-17 helicopters and F-4 Phantom fighter jets.

Hezbollah is among the groups supplied with the Noor missile by Iran, along with the Houthis in Yemen.

The missile was previously employed by Hezbollah to strike the “Israeli” Sa'ar 5-class corvette INS Hanit during the 2006 war, which was then regarded as the flagship of the “Israeli” Navy, armed with various advanced weapons and defense systems.