Syrian regime forces have opened a path through the Iraq border in order to transport arms needed by Assad’s army from Iran, in an area 20 kilometres from the Syrian-Iraqi border crossing of Al-Tanf, according to Russian news site Sputnik.

Yahya Suleiman, a retired Syrian general, told the Russian newspaper Izvestia that opening the path to link Syria and Iran via Iraq will allow Damascus to overcome the obstacles in transporting military equipment, weapons, ammunition, medicine and other forms of aid from the Islamic Republic.

Iran is considered a main source of weapons for the Syrian government, but up until now the weapons supply had reached Syria via air or sea through Lebanon. The new land corridor will be a cheaper alternative to the previous methods.

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The opening of the arms corridor has been planned and anticipated previously. At the end of May, Syrian opposition forces announced that the US is sending them more arms as a response to the efforts by Iranian-backed militias to open up an overland supply route.

This comes amid concerns raised that a “Shia crescent” is being established through the overland linking of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, under the influence and leadership of Iran.