Iranian missiles
Iranian missilesIsrael news photo: file

Iraqi civilians report that dozens of Iranian trucks filled with missiles have recently passed through their country, former minister Mordechai Ben-Porat told Arutz Sheva's Hebrew-language news service. The trucks appear to be heading for Syria.

Ben-Porat's source witnessed 75 trucks filled with long-range missiles near his hometown in northern Iraq.

Ben-Porat was born and raised in Baghdad and heads the Institute for Iraqi Jewish heritage. He and the institute maintain connections in Iraq as part of their work.

Authorities in Iraq did not intervene to stop the weapons transfer, Ben-Porat said. The missiles could be intended for Syria, he said, which has maintained tight ties with Iran despite pressure from the United States. They could also be transferred from Syria to the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hizbullah, Ben-Porat added. 

Many of the Iraqis who maintain contact with Ben-Porat's group, and occasionally share information, do so out of a genuine desire to assist Israel, he said. Kurdish residents of northern Iraq in particular are eager for ties with the Jewish state, he added.

"The Kurds in northern Iraq want to form ties with us, but up until now Israel has been hesitant due to its ties with Turkey,” he stated. “Now that we don't have to worry about Turkey, it's time to reach out to [the Kurds].”