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2w ago

Syria Says It Found Long-Range Missiles Hidden in Oil Tanker Bound for Baniyas

Syrian officials announced the discovery on July 16, prompting an Iraqi investigation and raising questions about how growing overland oil exports through Syria may be used to hide arms flows.

FILE - President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa walks towards 10 Downing Street to meet Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, on March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)
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A truck waits to cross over to Syria ahead of Iraq's opening of the al-Rabia border crossing on April 20, 2026.

Overview

  • Syrian Interior Ministry announced on July 16 that customs at the al-Tanf crossing discovered advanced weapons concealed inside an oil tanker that had been headed for the port of Baniyas.
  • Authorities said the cache included long-range missiles, guided anti-tank missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, all hidden within an oil tanker truck during a routine inspection.
  • Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi ordered a high-level investigative committee to work with Syrian authorities after reports that the tanker driver alleged collusion by staff at the al-Waleed crossing on the Iraqi side.
  • The operation fits a pattern of interdictions by Syria’s post-Assad government, which has stepped up border raids since December 2024 to disrupt smuggling and alleged Hezbollah-linked supply lines.
  • The seizure highlights a security risk from rising overland Iraqi oil shipments through the Baniyas route, could increase pressure for cross-border accountability, and leaves Hezbollah and Lebanese officials publicly silent.