Syrian Security Forces Seize Iranian Weapons Intended for Hezbollah

Under the former Assad regime in Syria, Iran had a logistics pipeline to supply Hezbollah, a powerful member of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” in the Middle East. However, with Assad ousted and Iranian forces fleeing the country, the new regime led by the U.S.-designated terrorist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) has taken steps to control these smuggling routes.

Recently, HTS security forces in the port city of Tartus uncovered a cargo of smuggled Iranian weapons hidden beneath grain sacks in a truck. The seized arms included Kalashnikov rifles, machine guns, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically the Iranian Shahed-101 drone known to be used by Hezbollah for attacks on Israel.

The interception of this weapons shipment signifies HTS’ intention to disrupt the Iran-to-Hezbollah transfer route. While the exact smuggling route was not disclosed, it is believed that Iran has been using sea routes to smuggle weapons into Syria, particularly through the port of Latakia.

Last year, Israeli analysts reported that Iran-linked freighters made port calls at Latakia to offload weapons cargoes, using false AIS destinations in Europe to conceal their activities. The recent seizure of Iranian weapons by HTS underscores the ongoing efforts to prevent arms smuggling to Hezbollah.

Although the origins of the captured cargo were not specified by HTS security forces, they confirmed that the weapons were intended for Hezbollah. This development highlights the continued efforts to disrupt Iran’s support for militant groups in the region.