Jordan foils arms smuggling from Syria linked to Hamas

AMMAN — Jordanian authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle arms from Syria into Jordan, targeting a cell with military ties to Hamas, according to Jordanian sources.

The sources confirmed that Iranian-backed militias within Syrian territory attempted to smuggle weapons to a cell of the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, which is connected to Hamas’s military wing.

Jordan has expressed ongoing concerns about the Iranian presence in Syria, particularly regarding smuggling operations that have been active since 2018.

Jordan initially demanded the withdrawal of Iranian-backed militias in Syria to more than 80 km from its border, later accepting a distance of 30 km with a Russian guarantee. However, these demands have not been fully met.

In December, a Jordanian government spokesman stated that Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi had spoken with his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, emphasizing Jordan’s rejection of the passage of weapons and drugs from areas controlled by Iranian-backed militias in Syria.