Damascus Seizes Weapons for Hezbollah on Iraq Border
Amid the expansion of land transport between Syria and Iraq due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, and as U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated that Syrian authorities would play a role against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Damascus announced the thwarting of an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of sophisticated weapons through Iraq en route to the Tehran-aligned Lebanese group.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said yesterday that the operation followed the monitoring of a vehicle stopped within the border zone under suspicious circumstances. It was subjected to inspection, resulting in the seizure of a shipment of weapons that included long-range missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, and armed drones.
The ministry added that “preliminary investigations, based on evidence and clues gathered during the operation, confirmed that the shipment was prepared to cross Syrian territory toward Lebanon for the benefit of the terrorist Hezbollah militia. Investigations are ongoing to uncover all details of the case, identify all those involved, and map out the associated networks.”
The Interior Ministry’s announcement coincided with confirmation from the General Authority for Ports and Customs that the shipment, which included weapons, missiles, and drones, was seized inside an oil tanker at the Tanf border crossing, en route to the Syrian coastal city of Baniyas.
According to the authority, the operation took place during routine inspection and verification procedures for vehicles and cargo in transit. The tanker raised suspicions, prompting a thorough inspection that revealed weapons hidden inside in a manner designed to evade control measures.
In Iraq, the Joint Operations Command announced that, under the direction of Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ali al-Allawi, a high-level committee comprising relevant authorities and experts was formed to investigate the thwarted attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles into Syria.
The command stated that coordination would be maintained with the Syrian side to learn all details related to the operation and hold those responsible accountable, ensuring the preservation of security and stability along the shared border and preventing any attempts to undermine national security.
Despite repeated denials from Damascus, Trump said the day before that his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, “wants to enter into a confrontation with Lebanese Hezbollah.”
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that “al-Sharaa will enter and take charge of Hezbollah in a different way,” adding that he would not follow a “policy of destroying buildings.”
When asked whether he believed al-Sharaa would be “more precise” than Tel Aviv in its strikes, Trump replied: “I think he will be more precise.”
