Iran International:

Iranian container ships are suspected of aiding Houthi attacks and transporting weapons to Syria and Russia during repeated visits to the port of Antwerp, investigative outlet Follow the Money (FTM) reported citing Western security services.

The report details how Iranian ships may have used commercial trade through Antwerp to conceal alleged illicit activities.

The vessels delivered arms, weapon components and cargo with dual civilian and military uses during stopovers in Syria and Russia en route to Belgium, the Western security sources cited by FTM were cited as saying.

In Syria, under recently ousted President Bashar al-Assad, these shipments were likely passed on to Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group, the report added citing unnamed intelligence sources.

Six Iranian ships regularly docked in Syria while travelling between Iran and Antwerp between mid-2022 and late 2024, FTM reported, citing shipping data.

One ship, the Shiba, lingered off Yemen during multiple Houthi attacks, and made at least one unregistered “dark port” call to Syria, FTM said.

The ships were operated by Hafez Darya Arya Shipping (HDS), which is suspected to be a front for Iran’s sanctioned state shipping firm IRISL, the report said.

Belgian authorities inspected one vessel in 2024 but found no weapons, FTM reported. The EU banned the ships from its ports in late 2024 after sanctioning IRISL.

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