In a bid to facilitate the shipment of weapons and military hardware between Syria and Iran, Iran has agreed to fund the construction of a new multi-million dollar military base on the coast of Syria, according to western intelligence reports. Under the terms of this new deal, Iran is to assist with the development of a new military compound which is to be completed by the end of the year at Latakia airport. Their objective is to open a new supply route that will enable Iran to directly transfer military equipment to Syria. According to western security officials the deal was agreed on following a visit to Tehran by Muhammad Nasif Kheirbek, Deputy Vice-President for Security Affairs, in June. Iran and Syria have shared close strategic alliance for decades, based on their mutual distrust towards many western nations. In return for Iranian support, Syria has supported Tehran's attempts to develop the Islamic party Hizbollah in Lebanon into a major political force. Kheirbek is the subject of US sanctions over his role with Hizbollah in southern Lebanon. Under the terms of the agreement, Iran plans to fly hundreds of tons to Latakia on freight planes, which have a 40 ton capacity. As an added measure, Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers will be stationed at the new base permanently, where they will be able to co-ordinate the arms shipments alongside the Syrian intelligence service. The nationwide protests in Syria against the Assad regime has left Iran concerned and according to Western diplomats, Iran has sent riot control equipment and intelligence monitoring techniques and oil to Damascus in a bid to help Assad quell the unrest. Turkey has been instrumental in setting back the Iranian support. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, confirmed last week that Turkey had seized a truck full of weapons traveling from Iran to Syria. The seizure, made on April 30 by Turkish officials on the border city of Kilis, was only made public this month after details were published in a German newspaper, Suddeutsche Zeitung. Turkey also managed to seize an Iranian cargo bound for Syria in March which was loaded with weapons, such as assault rifles, machine guns and mortars. The cargo, according to Turkish officials, was labeled as “auto spare parts.” The plane carrying the cargo was allowed to pass over Turkish airspace providing they made a technical stop at Diyarbakir airport in south-east Turkey. According to the UN Security Council, Iran has breached their sanctions which was imposed on Iran due to Tehran's controversial nuclear program. The sanctions expressly forbids arms exports. BM
