The US military on Friday commended Syrian security forces for thwarting weapons shipments to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon.
“Congratulations to Syria’s security forces for recently interdicting multiple weapons shipments,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement.
“These shipments were intended for Lebanese Hezbollah. The United States and our regional partners have a shared interest in ensuring the disarmament of Lebanese Hezbollah and in preserving peace and stability across the Middle East,” added Cooper.
The statement comes a day after Syrian authorities said they killed a man and arrested four others who were attempting to smuggle hundreds of landmines to Hezbollah.
The Trump administration has been pushing for an agreement on defense-related issues between Israel and Syria.
On Monday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that it was “very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria, and that nothing takes place that will interfere with Syria’s evolution into a prosperous State.”
The post followed the Israeli raids in Syrian territory on Friday, in which suspected terrorists were arrested. Six Israeli soldiers were injured after coming under fire. The IDF responded with airstrikes.
Israeli sources recently told Kan 11 News that negotiations toward a security agreement between Israel and Syria have reached a deadlock, stressing that Israel has rejected President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from all positions captured by the IDF following the fall of Assad.
The sources added that Israel would consider withdrawing from some of those positions only in exchange for a comprehensive peace agreement with Syria - not merely a security arrangement - and that no such agreement appears to be on the horizon at this time.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)