SYRIA FOILS ATTEMPT TO SMUGGLE WEAPONS TO HEZBOLLAH FROM IRAQ: SANA

Thu 16 July 2026:

Syrian authorities thwarted an attempted weapons smuggling on its border with Iraq, reportedly heading to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, state media said Thursday.

The truck that was seized was carrying advanced weapons and rockets, Syria’s state-run SANA news agency quoted an unnamed Interior Ministry official as saying. A preliminary investigation concluded that its intended destination was Hezbollah in Lebanon, which since early March has been at war with Israel, the official said.

The new Syrian leadership, which overthrew former President Bashar Assad in 2024, has intensified efforts to stop the smuggling of weapons and illegal drugs across its borders, particularly with Iraq and Lebanon—longstanding key routes used to supply Hezbollah, which is supported by Iran.

Hezbollah deployed thousands of fighters to Syria beginning in 2011, serving as a primary fighting force to suppress Syrian opposition groups and bolster the Ba’athist regime. This alliance, originally formed due to shared ties with Iran, lasted until the Assad regime collapsed in late 2024.

Syria foils attempt to smuggle weapons to Hezbollah from Iraq: SANA pic.twitter.com/BXKnF67PHo

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) July 16, 2026

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Iraq’s Joint Operations command said that it formed a committee to investigate the smuggling and will coordinate with its counterparts in Damascus. It did not offer other details.

U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted Syria take military action against Hezbollah, as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been trying to prevent his country from being sucked into a wider regional conflict.

Hezbollah did not comment on the allegations.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi earlier this week traveled to Washington to meet with Trump, who has been pushing Baghdad to disarm Tehran-backed militias.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22