Hezbollah smuggling weapons on civilian flights from Iran, IDF reveals

Israel has exposed and thwarted multiple attempts by Iran to transfer game-changing weapons to Hezbollah.

By Aryeh Savir, TPS

Hezbollah is transferring strategic weapons from Iran to Lebanon on civilian flights, the IDF revealed, exposing another method in which the terror organization is arming itself in clandestine ways.

Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit weapons, stated Friday that the transfer route is run by Rada Safi al-Din, the son of Hashem Safi al-Din, head of the Executive Council of the Lebanese Hezbollah, who “is using his high position and the infrastructure of the Lebanese state to help his son transfer strategic weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.”

To ensure secrecy, weapons are transported on civilian flights from Iran to Damascus International Airport, “exposing civilians to imminent danger.”

According to Ynet News, Hezbollah is smuggling advanced military components related to the production of military weapons. They are relatively small and look innocent in appearance and are therefore easier to disguise in luggage taken on civilian flights.

To further disguise the smuggling route, some of the luggage departs on civilian flights from Tehran to a European country and then is moved on to a civilian connecting flight to Damascus or Beirut, the report said.

Hezbollah “is exploiting the state of Lebanon and its citizens for terrorist purposes that serve the Iranian interests,” Adraee underscored.

The IDF will “continue to monitor all attempts by Hezbollah to threaten the security of the State of Israel, and will act as needed to protect the security and citizens of the country,” he added.

Iran routinely attempts to arm the Lebanon-based Hezbollah with advanced weapons. Israel has exposed and thwarted multiple attempts by Iran to transfer game-changing weapons to Hezbollah, including by air shipments from Iran, through Damascus Airport.

Over the years, the IAF has carried out thousands of attacks to thwart the Iranian entrenchment in the war-torn country and to prevent Hezbollah from accumulating advanced game-changing weapons.

Adraee’s notice came just hours before the Israeli Air Force (IAF) reportedly conducted an airstrike against Iranian targets and weapons depots in the vicinity of Damascus International Airport.

Rada is married to the daughter of Qassem Suleimani, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards’ (IRGC) Qods Force who was killed by the U.S. in January 2020.

Hashem is regarded as second only to Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. In 2017, he was designated a terrorist by the U.S. Department of State.