The U.S.-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies assessed that Hezbollah may no longer operate at full strength in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, though it still exploits instability there as a weapons corridor into Lebanon.
Syrian sources confirmed Hezbollah remnants remain active near Quneitra, close to Israel’s border.
On September 29, Syria’s Interior Ministry reported seizing 200 Grad rockets in Qusair, a town long used by Hezbollah for smuggling arms. Despite Assad’s fall in December 2024, Iran and its proxies continue rebuilding Hezbollah’s arsenal across the porous Syrian-Lebanese frontier. Damascus has intercepted some transfers but lacks the capacity to block them all. Meanwhile, Lebanese authorities hesitate to act, allowing weapon flows to persist.
Reports also note that U.S. President Donald Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, with Washington mediating talks between Damascus and Tel Aviv over a renewed 1974 disengagement agreement. Analysts urged Washington to pressure Lebanon into stricter enforcement against Hezbollah’s arms transfers.
