Syria’s state news agency SANA reported Thursday that authorities foiled an attempt to smuggle advanced weapons and missiles from Iraq. According to an Interior Ministry source cited in the report, the shipment was intended for the terror group Hezbollah.
1+According to a statement from Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs, a shipment that included rockets and drones was hidden inside an oil tanker en route to the city of Baniyas. The equipment was discovered during a routine inspection at the Al-Tanf border crossing between Syria and Iraq, after customs officers conducted a thorough search of the suspect truck.
The route to Baniyas has become a major corridor for fuel transfers from Iraq to Syria. Last month, reports indicated that Iraq is preparing to expand exports through Syria to include crude oil, as part of a government strategy to diversify export routes beyond the Gulf.
1+President Trump said in June that he spoke with Syrian President al-Julani about the fight against Hezbollah, which is battling Israel in Lebanon. Syria’s current leadership, composed of former rebels, fought against Hezbollah for years during the civil war, when the terror group backed former President Bashar al-Assad.
The office of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said al-Julani assured him that Syria would not interfere in Lebanon’s internal affairs. Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command released footage documenting the latest wave of strikes carried out against Iran.