Iran has provided Syria with a sophisticated radar system that could alert Tehran of any surprise attack by Israel against its nuclear facilities, according to Israeli and U.S. officials. The Wall Street Journal reported on June 30 that the system could also benefit Hezbollah, as any radar information shared by Syria would increase the accuracy of its missiles and bolster its air defenses.

The transfer between Iran and Syria reportedly took place in mid-2009, and was confirmed last week by the Israeli military. The increased sophistication of the weapons transfers and military cooperation among Iran, Syria and Hezbollah “signal an increased risk of conflict on Israeli’s northern border,” the WSJ wrote. The outlook for Israel in any such conflict is not good. In the 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon, “There was no opposition to our jets. We flew freely,” said one active duty Israeli F-16 pilot. “In the next Lebanon war, we know it will not be like that.” Radar would also give Hezbollah early warning of a bombing raid—allowing its fighters to take cover.

Officials stated that this was a part of a dramatic increase in military cooperation and weapons sharing between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah.

“Iran is engaged in developing Syrian intelligence and aerial detection capabilities, and Iranian representatives are present in Syria for that express purpose,” read an Israeli military statement. “Radar assistance is only one expression of that cooperation.”

Hezbollah’ short-range rocket arsenal has increased from 12,000 rockets in 2006 to over 40,000 today.

In April, Israeli President Shimon Peres accused Syria of giving Scud missiles to Hezbollah. U.S. officials have privately confirmed this.

Scud missiles would allow Hezbollah to hit almost all of Israel from the safety of their home base in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

Israeli officials have also accused Iran and Syria of supplying Hezbollah with M-600 missiles—which could reach Tel-Aviv with an accuracy of several hundred feet.

A new radar array could help make Hezbollah’s missile arsenal more deadly. “An effective long-range radar is the kind of thing you’d need to make longer-range missiles accurate,” electronic warfare and radar expert David Fulghum said. “Up till now, [Hezbollah] was just sort of lighting the fuse and shooting them to land wherever.”

Iran continues to build up its proxies as potent weapons against Israel.