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Iraq-to-Syria arms interception
Syria’s Interior Ministry said specialized security units thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large shipment of advanced weapons across the Syrian-Iraqi border destined for Lebanon’s Hezbollah, stopping the cargo before it entered Syrian territory.
The ministry said the operation began after authorities identified a vehicle parked within the border area under suspicious circumstances, and a search uncovered a cache that included long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles, and drones.
SANA reported that the shipment was intended to transit Syrian territory before being delivered to the Hezbollah terrorist militia in Lebanon, while investigations continued to identify those involved and the networks linked to the alleged smuggling operation.
The Interior Ministry said it would not allow Syrian territory to be used as a corridor or launch point for weapons smuggling or for activities that threaten the security of Syria or neighboring countries.
Border crossings and claims
Long War Journal reported that the operation reportedly took place on July 7 and that Reuters said the weapons had been concealed inside an oil tanker truck bound for the coastal city of Baniyas.
The same report said the shipment was discovered during a routine inspection at the Al Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq after authorities subjected the vehicle to a thorough search, and it cited an Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi order to form an investigative committee to coordinate with Syrian authorities.
Long War Journal also reported that, according to an Iraqi official, the oil tanker’s driver said that "employees at the al-Waleed border crossing [on the Iraqi side] had colluded in smuggling the weapons."
In parallel, the Arab Weekly said the state news agency SANA, citing an interior ministry security source, reported the shipment was intercepted before entering Syrian territory, but it did not specify where along the frontier the seizure took place or disclose the type or quantity of weapons recovered.
Regional pressure and next steps
The Al-Monitor report said Syria’s new authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, have been conducting raids along the border with Lebanon and Iraq to shut down illegal smuggling since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
It added that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime accuses Hezbollah of running drug-smuggling networks along the porous 330-kilometer (205-mile) Lebanese-Syrian border, while Syria’s security authorities say they have dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in the country in the past year.
Al-Monitor also tied the interception to US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for Syria to intervene in neighboring Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah, quoting Trump saying, “He would go in and take care of Hezbollah and he’d do it in a different way.”
Hezbollah did not immediately comment on the Syrian announcement, and the Arab Weekly said Hezbollah did not immediately comment while Syrian authorities had yet to release the findings of their investigation or provide evidence identifying those allegedly responsible.
