Jordan Thwarts Iranian Plot to Smuggle Arms for Hamas

By Hamodia Staff

Jordanian authorities thwarted a suspected Iranian-led scheme to smuggle weapons into the kingdom, aiming to aid opponents of the ruling monarchy in carrying out sabotage, according to two Jordanian sources familiar with the situation.

The weapons, sent by Iranian-backed militias in Syria, were intended for a cell associated with the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan, which has ties to the military wing of Hamas, Reuters reported Wednesday. The cache was seized during the arrest of members of the cell, Jordanians of Palestinian origin, in late March.

The Jordanian sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to disclose the specific acts of sabotage being planned, citing ongoing investigations and covert operations.

The aim of the plot, according to the sources, was to destabilize Jordan, a nation situated at a strategic crossroads in the midst of the Gaza war. Jordan hosts a U.S. military base and shares borders with Israel, Syria, and Iraq — countries housing Iranian-backed militias.

The sources did not specify the types of weapons seized in the March raid but noted that in recent months, security services have thwarted multiple attempts by Iran and its allies to smuggle arms, including Claymore mines, C4 and Semtex explosives, Kalashnikov rifles, and 107mm Katyusha rockets.

While most of the illicit arms flow into Jordan is destined for Palestinian territories, some, including those intercepted in March, were intended for use within Jordan by the Brotherhood cell allied with Hamas terrorists.

Jordanian authorities suspect that Iran and its allies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, seek to recruit radical young members of Jordan’s Brotherhood to their anti-Israel, anti-U.S. agenda in an effort to expand Tehran’s regional network of aligned forces, the sources said.

A senior representative of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood acknowledged that some of its members were arrested in March with weapons but denied the group’s involvement, suggesting that the individuals involved may have been smuggling arms to the PA rather than plotting actions within Jordan.

Another senior Brotherhood figure, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the arrested cell members had been recruited by Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, who directed the group’s activities in the PA from Lebanon. Arouri was reportedly killed by a drone strike in Beirut in January, an operation widely attributed to Israel.

Jordan has previously stated that it thwarted numerous attempts by infiltrators connected to pro-Iranian militias in Syria, crossing its borders with rocket launchers and explosives, though some weapons managed to evade detection. Iran has denied involvement in such activities.