Jordan's King Requests Help from Arab Countries to Combat Iran-Related Smuggling

King Abdullah of Jordan has called on his neighboring Arab countries to address the alarming increase in drug and weapon smuggling by Iranian-linked militia groups active in southern Syria. During a meeting of Arab leaders, including Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in Bahrain's capital on Thursday, May 17, he stated, "We must confront armed militia groups that commit crimes beyond the law, especially drug and weapon smuggling that Jordan has been neutralizing for years." Jordanian sources told Reuters that the majority of arms smuggling cases in the country are directed towards Palestinian territories in the West Bank, although some of these weapons have been smuggled for use within Jordan. Syria denies cooperating with Iranian-backed militias in illegal activities. The Islamic Republic and Hezbollah in Lebanon also claim that these allegations are fabricated by Western countries. Jordan has neutralized a weapon smuggling scheme believed to be led by Iran, aimed at "aiding opponents of the Jordanian monarchy in carrying out subversive actions." According to two informed Jordanian sources, these weapons were sent by Iranian-backed militias in Syria to a Muslim Brotherhood cell in Jordan connected to the military branch of the extremist group Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU. Over the past year, Jordan has announced that it has thwarted many infiltration attempts by Iranian-backed militias in Syria, which involve smuggling rocket launchers and explosives across Jordan's borders, with "some weapons managing to pass through undetected." Additionally, Jordanian jets have attacked drug traffickers linked to Iran in Syria.