Syria seizes arms shipment on Iraq border destined for Hezbollah

Syrian security forces annouced the seizure of a large shipment of weapons from being smuggled across the Syrian-Iraqi border intended for Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Thursday as authorities continued to crack down on the Iranian-backed group.

What happened: The Syrian Interior Ministry said that security forces stopped a suspicious vehicle and seized a cache of advanced weapons that included long-range missiles, anti-tank guided missiles, and drones.

The shipment was found to be intended for the Lebanese Hezbollah paramilitary group, the ministry stated, saying that its investigation into the identities of those involved and any associated networks is ongoing.

أحبطت الوحدات المختصة في وزارة الداخلية محاولة تهريب شحنة ضخمة من الأسلحة النوعية على الحدود السورية – العراقية، وضبطتها قبل إدخالها إلى داخل الأراضي السورية.

وجاءت العملية بعد رصد مركبة متوقفة ضمن النطاق الحدودي في ظروف أثارت الاشتباه، حيث جرى إخضاعها للتفتيش، ما أسفر عن ضبط… pic.twitter.com/A2Lbs5wJ5Y

— وزارة الداخلية السورية (@syrianmoi) July 16, 2026

“Protecting the borders and preserving national sovereignty are paramount priorities,” the ministry stated, adding that it "will not allow Syrian territory to be used as a corridor or launching point for smuggling weapons or carrying out any activities that threaten the security of Syria or neighboring countries."

Neither Lebanese authorities nor Hezbollah have commented on the incident.

Why it matters: Syria’s new authorities, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, have been conducting raids along the border with Lebanon and Iraq in an effort to shut down illegal smuggling since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

In late March, the Syrian military said it discovered two smuggling tunnels during security operations along the border with Lebanon, in use by unnamed Lebanese militia groups.

One tunnel was located in the village of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali in the western countryside of Homs, just a kilometer from the Lebanese border. Syrian officials did not specify where the second tunnel was located.

For decades, Hezbollah has smuggled weapons and funds from Iran into Lebanon via Syria, a corridor long facilitated by its ally, Assad. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime also accuses the Iranian-backed group of running drug-smuggling networks along the porous 330-kilometer (205-mile) Lebanese-Syrian border.

Syria's security authorities say they have dismantled several Hezbollah-linked cells preparing attacks in the country in the past year. In May, the Interior Ministry announced the dismantling of one cell it accused of plotting to assassinate senior government figures in Syria. Coordinated security operations were carried across the provinces of Damascus, Aleppo, Homs, Tartous and Latakia.

Hezbollah has rejected the accusation as a false allegation intended to “ignite tensions and strife between the Syrian and Lebanese peoples.”

Know more: The latest operation on the Syrian-Iraqi border comes as US President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on Syria to intervene in neighboring Lebanon to help disarm Hezbollah.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump again suggested that Sharaa could assist in countering Hezbollah.

“He would go in and take care of Hezbollah and he’d do it in a different way. He wouldn’t knock down buildings; I hated to see buildings knocked down,” Trump said, referring to the ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon despite a June 3 ceasefire.

Sharaa has publicly rejected any plan for his country to intervene militarily in Lebanon, insisting that Syria seeks to restore relations with its neighbor based on economic cooperation.

Lebanese-Syrian relations have been fraught with conflict and tension for decades stemming from the Syrian military occupation of Lebanon from 1976 until the withdrawal of Syrian troops in 2005. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is due to visit Washington and meet Trump on Tuesday.