IDF warns Iran not to try to smuggle arms to Hezbollah as Tehran sends reinforcements to Syria

Speaking to Sky News Arabia, IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari says the military has seen Iran sending reinforcements to Syria amid the rebel assault there this week.

“We are closely following what is happening in Syria. We saw that the Iranian regime is sending reinforcements to Syria,” Hagari says to the outlet, according to remarks provided by the military.

He says that “Syria belongs to the Syrians” and “what is happening in Syria concerns Syria and not Israel” — but the IDF “will make sure that Iran does not smuggle weapons to Lebanon and Hezbollah.”

“We need to make sure that we are not threatened. We are a sovereign country and we will make sure that Iranian weapons are not smuggled to Hezbollah,” he says.

“Hezbollah was defeated in the campaign and it is necessary to make sure that it does not receive weapons from Iran through Syria,” Hagari says.

“And if they try to do it, we will act accordingly,” he adds.

Regarding the ceasefire with Hezbollah, Hagari says that “the Lebanese people and the Lebanese government must make sure that these places in Beirut or in south Lebanon are free of weapons — not in the houses, not in the yards of the houses, not in the children’s rooms.”

“We are committed to the ceasefire agreement. Sixty days is a gradual step to make sure that Hezbollah will not harm us or violate the agreement as happened in 2006. The Lebanese government and UNIFIL forces must do their job — it is in their interest too. We need this period to make sure there are no terror bases there,” he adds.