Jordan Shoots Down Drone Carrying Drugs Linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Jordanian army has stated that it shot down a drone carrying the drug "methamphetamine" that had entered the northern border area of the country from Syria. On Tuesday, the Jordanian army emphasized that the country would not allow this region to become the frontline of the "drug war" associated with Iran. Jordan has accused pro-Iranian militia, which it claims are protected by units in the Syrian army, of smuggling drugs across its borders to the lucrative markets of Gulf countries. Damascus claims it is making every effort to control smuggling and denies any collusion between pro-Iranian militias and the army and security forces. Since last year, Jordan has implemented stricter laws along its borders to combat drug trafficking. The army stated that it would confront any threats to its borders and any attempts to destabilize the country's security with "determination and force." In recent years, Syria has become a major center for the multi-billion dollar trade of the addictive substance "captagon" in the region, with Jordan being the main route for smuggling these substances to neighboring countries. Jordanian officials have expressed their concerns to Syrian officials, and although they have received commitments, they have not observed any "real effort" to eradicate the illegal drug trade. Local and Western intelligence sources indicate that Jordan conducted a rare airstrike in southern Syria last month, targeting a drug factory linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran and killing a trafficker who played a significant role in transporting shipments from Syria. Jordan, which has a 375-kilometer border with Syria, has requested additional military assistance from the United States to strengthen security along its borders. Since the onset of the conflict, Washington has allocated about one billion dollars to establish border posts in the country. The Assad government denies any involvement in drug production and trafficking, and the Islamic Republic of Iran claims that these accusations are part of "Western conspiracies" against it. Hezbollah in Lebanon has also denied involvement in drug trafficking, stating that Jordan's accusations reflect Washington's campaign to undermine Iran's influence in the region.