Israel Detects Iran Increasing Arms Smuggling to Hezbollah via Syrian Border

Israeli security agencies have recently identified a rise in attempts by Iran to smuggle weapons into Lebanon through the Syrian border, with the goal of arming Hezbollah. According to a security official, the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guards is responsible for financing and managing these operations to ensure the weapons reach Hezbollah's hands. This escalation is seen as part of Hezbollah's efforts to rearm and strengthen itself during the current ceasefire period.

A source in Israel's defense establishment told Channel 12 that Hezbollah is exploiting the ceasefire to enhance its capabilities, significantly increasing smuggling activities through Syria. Despite recent seizures of weapons by Syrian and Lebanese forces, many shipments reportedly evade detection and successfully enter Lebanon. Israeli officials view this surge in smuggling as a key reason to maintain freedom of action within Syria, as uncovering a major arms transfer could justify Israeli strikes inside Syrian territory to neutralize the threat.

This is not the first time Iran has attempted to supply weapons to terrorist groups. In October 2025, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet thwarted a large shipment of advanced arms from Iran intended for terrorist operatives in the West Bank. That intercepted cache included anti-tank rockets, explosives, drones capable of carrying payloads, hand grenades, and machine guns.