Report: Teheran has Assad smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Iraq

 

The weapons transfer through Iraqi airports is done to avoid Israeli air strike on weapons convoys traveling from Syria to Lebanon.

By YASSER OKBI, THE POST CORRESPONDENT

 

 

 

Iran and Syria are reportedly smuggling weapons to Hezbollah through Iraqi airports, to avoid IDF attacks on weapons convoys crossing the border from Syria to Lebanon, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Seyassah reported.

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos

Iranian weapons intercepted by Israeli commandos – Photo: REUTERS/Amir Cohen

According to the report, this method of smuggling arms has been agreed on by the two sides two months ago.

A source in the Iraqi ruling party told the paper that while senior Iraqi officials aide Tehran and Damascus in smuggling weapons to Hezbollah, Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unaware of it.

Lebanese officials close to Hezbollah and to the Assad regime in Syria, however, know of the smuggling and turn a blind eye to it, according to the report.

“The weapons transfer is done twice to three times a year, from different airports in Iraq,” the Iraqi Shi’ite official was quoted as saying by the paper.

“Al-Maliki suspects something is going on, but the Iranian regime receives intelligence on any intention to search planes that arrive in Baghdad on their way to Beirut,” he added.

 

View original Jerusalem Post publication at: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Iran-Syria-smuggling-weapons-to-Hezbollah-through-Iraq-335476