Al Jazeera reports: While the drug trade was historically linked to Iranian-aligned armed groups in neighbouring Deraa, recent reports indicate a major shift towards Suwayda, which has remained largely outside government control since the fall of al-Assad in December 2024.Clashes between the Syrian military and Druze militias, backed by Israel, in 2025, had further entrenched Suwayda’s isolation from the Syrian state, with the National Guard, the group in the province most strongly opposed to new President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, becoming the dominant force there. Advertisement According to a report by investigative outlet Forbidden Stories, this situation has allowed Suwayda to become a “hotspot” for the Captagon trade with elements linked to the National Guard not only accused of establishing drug manufacturing labs and warehouses within the province, but also operating smuggling rings beyond Syria’s borders.(Al Jazeera)Why Jordan is acting nowFor Jordan, the emergence of Suwayda as a Captagon manufacturing hub has become a national emergency, with the drug becoming increasingly prevalent in the kingdom.
Colonel Abdullah al-Sarhan, a retired Jordanian pilot, noted that Sunday’s “preemptive” strikes were a necessary action, given that the trafficking methods of drug smugglers had evolved significantly. Alleged drug and weapon smuggling from southern Syria to Jordan is also considered to be a threat to the kingdom’s stability.Major-General Mamoun Abu Nowar, a retired Jordanian military analyst, told Al Jazeera that the kingdom’s actions send a clear message to elements operating in southern Syria. “Jordanian national security is inextricably linked to Syrian national security,” Abu Nowar said.
Background
He added that the strikes serve as a deterrent not only to drug cartels but also to external actors who might seek to take advantage of the power struggle between the central government in Damascus and the Druze factions.“It is a message to those within Suwayda cooperating with Israel and to Israel itself: do not attempt any future projects on our borders. Jordan will not hesitate to strike these nests,” Abu Nowar said.The Israel and US factorThe conflict over Suwayda’s drug trade has the potential to draw in broader regional powers. Israeli officials have previously sought to position themselves as protectors of Syria’s Druze community, and carried out attacks on government forces during clashes in Suwayda between the military and armed groups linked to al-Hijri.
Key facts
- “Jordanian national security is inextricably linked to Syrian national security,” Abu Nowar said.
- Jordan will not hesitate to strike these nests,” Abu Nowar said.The Israel and US factorThe conflict over Suwayda’s drug trade has the potential to draw in broader regional powers.
- The battle for the control of Suwayda is now a crucial test for the stability of post-Assad Syria that has broader implications beyond its borders.
What this means
Advertisement In early March 2025, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to advance the Israeli military to the outskirts of Damascus, using the spurious claim of protecting Syria’s religious minorities.However, the United States has signalled its opposition to such escalations and in July 2025, the US State Department publicly criticised Israeli air strikes in southern Syria, calling for diplomatic engagement and urging the Syrian government to lead the path towards stability. The battle for the control of Suwayda is now a crucial test for the stability of post-Assad Syria that has broader implications beyond its borders.
Originally reported by Al Jazeera. This story has been edited and re-presented by BRIC Team.
