DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian authorities have intercepted a weapons-smuggling attempt at the country’s border with Iraq, with state media reporting Thursday that the shipment was allegedly headed for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.
According to Syria’s state-run SANA news agency, an unnamed Interior Ministry official confirmed that the seized truck was loaded with advanced weapons and rockets. A preliminary investigation determined that Hezbollah in Lebanon was the intended destination for the cargo. Hezbollah has been engaged in armed conflict with Israel since early March.
Syria’s current leadership, which came to power after ousting former President Bashar Assad in 2024, has made it a priority to crack down on weapons and drug smuggling across its borders — particularly along routes shared with Iraq and Lebanon. For decades, those corridors have been used to funnel supplies to Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups.
U.S. President Donald Trump has pressed Syria to take direct military action against Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been working to keep his country from being drawn into a broader regional conflict.
Hezbollah issued no statement in response to the allegations.
Separately, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi traveled to Washington earlier this week to meet with President Trump, who has been pushing Iraq’s government to disarm militias backed by Tehran.
