The New Syrian Government Says It Is Breaking Up Hezbollah Arms Smuggling

The collapse of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria was truly a turning point for Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” in the Middle East. For over a decade, the Assad regime benefited from longtime allies Russia and Iran, who both committed to propping up the totalitarian police state in exchange for gaining footholds in the region.

Damascus likewise functioned as a central pillar in Tehran’s proxy warfare strategy, offering a key weapons smuggling hub. With the Assad family ousted from power in Syria, Iran’s ability to exploit the domestic crisis in the country may be limited. In fact, Syria’s new regime recently claimed to have halted all weapons shipments headed to Lebanon. Photographs publicized by Syrian state-run media outlets depict RPGs, assault rifles and other ammunition that were allegedly en route to Hezbollah at the time of Assad’s fall from power. If true, these efforts by the new Syrian government would represent a major shift from the Assad regime. In other words, Iran’s capability to supply its Lebanon-based terror proxy would be greatly undermined.

What We Know

Details surrounding the alleged weapons seizure was reported by the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a formerly pro-Assad channel that was taken over by the new government shortly after he fled the country. “The General Administration of Border Security, following monitoring and surveillance, has seized a shipment of weapons destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon,” SANA reported. “The weapons were being smuggled through the Syrian-Lebanese border via the city of Serghaya in [the] Damascus countryside.”

Since the fall of the Assad regime, Israel has carried out various strikes targeting weapons depots, military assets and other potentially threatening sites in Syria. According to the IDF, these measures were taken to ensure that arms are not seized and used against the Jewish state by Syria’s new government. By claiming to have prevented Hezbollah-intended weapons shipments, it appears that the new government formed under Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Julani) is attempting to gain Israel’s trust.

A Blow to Iranian Influence In Syria

Iran first began smuggling arms to its regional proxy groups via Syria more than two decades ago under the tenure of former Syrian president Hafez Assad. Over time, the alliance between the two countries grew stronger and more formidable, and arms intended for Tehran’s proxies were given the green light to cross the Syrian border. Notably, weapons ranging from Scud surface-to-surface missiles and Fateh-110 precision missiles were transferred to Hezbollah via Syria, giving the Lebanon-based terror group the ability to strike virtually any target in Israel.

The Arab Spring movement in 2011 would only strengthen Iran’s ties with Syria. As detailed by Understanding War, “Lebanese Hezbollah began to take on a more direct combat role in Syria as the Assad regime began losing control over Syrian territory in 2012. Hezbollah has supported Assad with a robust, well-trained force whose involvement in the conflict aligns with Iranian strategic interests.”

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