Israel Claims to Have Foiled Smuggling Operation of Iranian-Made Explosives at Jordan Border

On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that its security forces successfully thwarted attempts to smuggle explosives from Iran to Israel via Jordan over the past month. According to the Times of Israel, the smuggling attempt was neutralized by the 417th regional brigade of the Israeli army and members of the counter-terrorism unit on July 24 in the Jordan Valley. Israeli officials believe that the discovered explosives were prepared and produced for use by terrorist groups in the West Bank. The Shin Bet security agency is investigating how Iranian-made explosives were smuggled to the borders of Israel and Jordan. Arms smuggling is an ongoing challenge for Israel across its long eastern borders with Jordan and in the West Bank areas. Israeli officials believe that most of the weapons are used for underground operations and have addressed this issue as part of efforts to end years of ongoing bloodshed in the repressed Arab community. The Israeli internal security agency, Shin Bet, also announced on Thursday that four Arab Israeli citizens were arrested and charged due to their connections with Hezbollah in Lebanon and for smuggling ammunition and drugs into Israel. The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported that they possessed Iranian-made explosives. It is said that these four were part of a smuggling ring involved in receiving and distributing illegal drugs from Hezbollah. Israeli officials state that Hezbollah manages a global drug network as part of its financial operations.