Syria has busted a new smuggling operation that was attempting to move weapons to Hezbollah. This bust comes at a key time, as Hezbollah is under some pressure by Israel, the US, and Lebanon as the US hopes for progress on trilateral talks.
The goal of the talks is that Lebanon will extend its control to “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon where Hezbollah will be removed, and Israel has said it won’t withdraw or redeploy in Lebanon until there is progress.
The Trump administration has hinted that Syria might help support operations against Hezbollah. US President Donald Trump again mentioned this possibility in a recent interview with Trey Yingst of Fox News. As Trump maneuvers to bring about peace in Lebanon, Syria plays a key role in helping cut off the arms flow to Hezbollah.
On July 16, Syria’s state media SANA said that Syria’s Interior Ministry had seized an advanced weapons shipment bound for Hezbollah near the Syrian-Iraqi border, one of many successes that it has had against smuggling to Hezbollah.
The new Syrian government came to power after the fall of the Assad regime. Hezbollah had intervened in Syria to back the Assad regime, as they were allies for decades due to Iranian support for both. Hezbollah sent thousands of fighters to Syria between 2012-2024. The Syrian rebels hated Hezbollah for its role in the war. When Assad fled, it was natural that Damascus would act against the Iranian-backed smuggling networks.
Weapons reaching Hezbollah from Iran
Weapons flowing to Hezbollah usually come from Iran via Iraq. They would be smuggling through Al Qaim on the Iraqi border, via Albukamal in Syria and then up the Euphrates River Valley. They would sometimes pass through several points, including the T-4 base at Palmya. They also sometimes moved through Deir Ezzor. The US force at Tanf Garrison in southern Syria made it hard for the arms to flow near the Jordanian border.
When the Assad regime collapsed the smuggling routes may have changed - it is hard to keep track of everything in the Syrian desert. In addition, the instability in southern Syria around Suwayda has led to smuggling routes remaining in that area.
Specialized units may have included US-trained Syrian rebels
The Syrians say that the ministry used “specialized security units" to carry out the operation "after detecting a suspicious vehicle parked near the border. A search uncovered a cache of weapons that included long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles and drones.” Some of the Syrian rebels that were trained by the Americans at Tanf were integrated first into Syria’s 70th Division and then into Interior Ministry units. It’s possible some of them may have played a helpful role here.
The reports also say that “preliminary investigations based on evidence collected at the scene indicated that the shipment was intended to transit Syrian territory before being delivered to the Hezbollah terrorist militia in Lebanon. Authorities said investigations were continuing to identify everyone involved in the smuggling operation and dismantle the networks linked to it.”
The Syrians went on to say that “the Interior Ministry said protecting Syria’s borders and safeguarding national sovereignty remained a top priority, adding that it would not allow Syrian territory to be used as a transit route or launch point for arms smuggling or other activities that threaten the security of Syria or neighboring countries.”