ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Thursday ordered the formation of a high-level committee to investigate an attempted weapons smuggling operation on the Syrian border after Damascus said its forces had seized a shipment allegedly destined for Lebanon's Hezbollah.

Earlier on Thursday, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced it had seized a "massive" weapons shipment at the country's border with Iraq, saying the weapons were intended for Lebanon's Hezbollah.

The Iraqi premier subsequently ordered the formation of a “high-level committee comprised of relevant authorities and specialists,” to investigate the matter, according to a statement by the Joint Operations Command.

“Coordination will also be undertaken with the Syrian side to ascertain all details related to this operation and to hold those responsible accountable,” the statement added. The move aims to bolster border stability and prevent further attempts that “undermine national security.”

Syrian security forces launched the operation after spotting a stationary vehicle within the border area “under suspicious circumstances,” the interior ministry noted, adding that the efforts resulted in the seizure of a shipment of weapons that included long-range missiles, guided anti-armor missiles, and drones.

“The shipment was prepared for transit through Syrian territory toward Lebanon on behalf of the terrorist Hezbollah militia,” the Syrian ministry said, citing preliminary investigation reports.

Before the ouster of the Assad regime in late 2024, Syria served as a crucial land corridor that allowed Hezbollah, a Lebanese paramilitary group and political party, to receive arms and other supplies from its primary external backer, Iran.

Hezbollah fighters were deployed in Syria at the behest of the Assad regime during the country's civil war, where they fought against myriad rebel groups, including Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by current Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who ultimately toppled the Iran-backed government and assumed power.

Having been embroiled in a conflict with Israel following its intervention in the US-Israeli war on Iran in March, Hezbollah has found its strategic position enfeebled, with the Lebanese government having agreed with Tel Aviv to disarm the militia in areas of southern Lebanon in which Israeli forces have begun a conditional withdrawal.

The network of ideological affiliates to Hezbollah and Iran within Iraq is similarly facing growing pressure to disarm, with Iraqi Prime Minister Zaidi having commenced a sweeping campaign that aims to restrict weapons to the hands of the state.