Iraq’s Joint Operations Command has established an investigative committee to examine a foiled attempt to smuggle weapons and missiles into Syria, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
The probe follows the interception of a significant cache of arms concealed within an oil tanker originating from Iraq, which was seized by Syrian security forces on Thursday.
The discovery highlights the persistent use of commercial shipping routes for illicit military transfers amid ongoing regional instability.
The security development arrives as Iraq’s energy infrastructure faces direct physical threats.
Earlier on Thursday, crude oil loading operations at the Basra terminal were temporarily suspended after a drone struck an oil tanker.
While sources indicated the attack did not cause significant damage, the incident underscores the vulnerability of Iraq’s export capacity to asymmetric warfare tactics.