Syria Foils Arms Smuggling Attempt Across the Border; Shipment Was Allegedly Bound for Lebanon’s Hezbollah
A Syrian security source announced that the authorities in Damascus had foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles across the Syrian-Iraqi border, with the shipment allegedly intended for Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
According to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), citing a source from the Ministry of Interior, specialized security units intercepted an attempt to bring a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles across the Syrian-Iraqi border.
The source stated that “preliminary investigations confirmed that the seized shipment was intended to transit Syrian territory for the benefit of the terrorist Hezbollah militia.”
During last month’s G7 summit, U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News that he was “frustrated that Israel has been unable to eliminate Hezbollah,” adding, in reference to the campaign against the group, “I am close to handing the task over to Syria.”
Trump also praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying that he was “doing an outstanding job,” before adding, “If Israel cannot complete the mission (against Hezbollah) without killing everyone, then he (Ahmed al-Sharaa) will take care of it. Syria will carry out the mission.”
However, Al-Sharaa denied any intention of interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs. In a televised interview, he stated, “We are seeking to establish economic links between Lebanon and Syria, not military ones.”
He added, “Our approach, developed in coordination with the United States, is based on the necessity of ending the war. There must be alternative solutions, including economic, political, and social measures, as well as restoring bilateral relations and re-establishing the economic lifeline between Syria and Lebanon.”
The Syrian president also referred to “certain security measures implemented alongside this process to address Syrian and Lebanese security concerns first and foremost, while also taking Israeli security concerns into account.”
Al-Sharaa continued, “The current Syrian government possesses numerous tools to exert a positive influence on the situation inside Lebanon, but this ultimately depends primarily on Lebanese national consensus.”
He further stated that “Syria places great importance on Lebanon’s internal stability because Lebanon’s security and stability are inseparable from Syria’s own security and stability.”
Hezbollah fought alongside the forces of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout the conflict that began in 2011.
The new Syrian authorities, which overthrew Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, have adopted a cautious stance toward Iranian influence and Hezbollah. The group has repeatedly maintained that it no longer maintains any operational presence in Syria in the post-Assad era.
