Iraq’s prime minister has announced a probe into cross-border smuggling to Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Ali al-Zaidi said he was setting up a “high-level committee” in coordination with the Syrian government to investigate the transport of “advanced weapons” from Iraq through Syria to the Iran-backed group.
Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC), which answers directly to the prime minister, said that it would “hold those responsible for any shortcomings accountable, in a manner that ensures the security and stability of the shared border and prevents any attempts to undermine national security.”
Earlier on Thursday, the state news agency Sana reported that Syrian security forces had thwarted an attempt to smuggle in a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles through the Syrian-Iraqi borders.
The shipment was intended to be delivered to Hezbollah, according to an interior ministry source cited by Sana.
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They said the cache contained “long-range missiles, anti-armor guided missiles, and drones”.
Iraq’s latest government has, like previous governments, attempted to maintain a balance in relations between its eastern neighbour Iran and Washington and its allies.
The current government in Syria came to power in December 2024 after overthrowing President Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Iran and Iraq.
Numerous Iraqi armed groups crossed into Syria during the civil war to defend Assad’s government against the opposition groups who eventually toppled him – including some of the parties who helped the Iraqi government into power in May.
‘This action helps signal to the US that Baghdad is willing to assert greater control over cross-border networks’
– Hayder al-Shakeri, Chatham House
Despite this, Iraq has sought to build ties with the new administration in Syria and support stability in the country.
Iraq has also faced pressure from the US to crackdown on Iran-backed armed groups in the country and their attempts to attack US and Israeli assets in the region.
The ongoing conflict between the US and Iran has further pushed Iraq to reassure the Americans, with Zaidi overseeing the development of a new partnership during a visit to Washington this week.
Hayder al-Shakeri, a research fellow with the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, said the Iraqi government felt a need to demonstrate that it was distinct from the armed factions.
“This action helps signal to the US that Baghdad is willing to assert greater control over cross-border networks,” he told Middle East Eye.
“But whether this reflects a genuine, sustained policy shift, rather than a tactical gesture, will depend on whether the government follows through with arrests, prosecutions, tighter border enforcement, and action against the political or security figures protecting these networks.”
