The Media Line: Syria Foils Alleged Hezbollah Plot as Cleric Warns of Iranian Plans To Disrupt Oil Supplies   

Syria Foils Alleged Hezbollah Plot as Cleric Warns of Iranian Plans To Disrupt Oil Supplies   

Rizik Alabi / The Media Line  

Syrian authorities announced the arrest of two individuals allegedly linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah on suspicion of plotting an attack on the Homs oil refinery in central Syria, saying explosives intended for the operation had been seized. Hezbollah categorically denied the allegations, raising questions about the future of security cooperation between Damascus and Beirut.  

The Syrian announcement came on Tuesday, one day after a Lebanese ministerial delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri visited Damascus to discuss Syrian refugees, security coordination, border management, and bilateral relations.  

Syria’s Internal Security Forces said the General Intelligence Directorate, working in coordination with security authorities, had foiled the alleged plot following a surveillance operation that led to the arrest of two suspects identified only by their initials, M.S. and B.Sh. Explosives and other equipment were reportedly seized during the operation.  

On Sunday, November 1, a source within Syria’s General Intelligence Directorate had initially announced that a plot targeting the refinery had been thwarted, without identifying the suspected perpetrators. Two days later, authorities alleged that the detainees were linked to Hezbollah.  

In response, Hezbollah’s media relations office issued a statement denying any involvement in the alleged plot. The group maintained that it had no organizational or operational presence or connections inside Syrian territory and was not engaged in activities threatening Syria’s security or stability.  

The Media Line could not independently verify the evidence cited by Syrian authorities linking the suspects to Hezbollah.  

In an exclusive interview with The Media Line, Sheikh Issa Khair al-Din, a Lebanese religious figure and political activist from the central Beqaa Valley, argued that potential threats to Syria’s oil infrastructure should be viewed within the broader context of regional tensions involving Iran and global energy markets.  

Khair al-Din described Hezbollah as a force operating in accordance with Iranian interests, arguing that Tehran seeks to exert pressure on global energy supplies to demonstrate the potential economic consequences of a military confrontation with Iran.  

According to Khair al-Din, Iran seeks to drive up oil prices and disrupt supply routes to show that a war involving the country could have far-reaching consequences for the global economy.  

He connected this alleged strategy to the importance of oil transportation routes through Syria, pointing to Iraqi oil supplies and proposed projects to develop energy transportation infrastructure across Syrian territory.  

Khair al-Din argued that alternative oil transportation routes could help stabilize global markets if shipping through the Strait of Hormuz were disrupted, potentially undermining what he described as Iran’s strategic interests.  

Based on that assessment, he suggested that attacks on the Homs refinery or oil transportation infrastructure could serve Tehran’s interests and accused Iranian-aligned groups of being prepared to carry out such operations.  

However, these assertions reflect Khair al-Din’s political assessment. No independently verified evidence has emerged establishing that Iran directed the alleged plot against the refinery.  

Khair al-Din also noted the timing of the announcement, which coincided with the Lebanese ministerial delegation’s visit to Damascus. The delegation included Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar, who was nominated for his position by Hezbollah.  

He suggested that the timing could, in his view, represent an attempt to divert attention from Hezbollah’s potential responsibility, although no publicly available evidence has established a connection between the Lebanese delegation’s visit and the alleged security plot or the timing of its disclosure.  

Regarding relations between Damascus and Beirut, Khair al-Din stressed the importance of distinguishing between the Lebanese state and the country’s various political factions.  

He said Lebanon’s political landscape includes competing allegiances and orientations, with political forces opposed to Hezbollah seeking strong relations with Syria, while some parties aligned with Hezbollah view rapprochement with Syria’s new authorities differently.  

Khair al-Din argued that these divisions extend beyond politics and, in his assessment, also affect Lebanon’s security institutions.  

He claimed that some security agencies operate independently according to their domestic and foreign affiliations, potentially influencing how they handle matters involving Syria.  

“All these issues make Lebanese-Syrian relations fragmented and unstable, resembling relations between militias rather than between a sovereign state and a neighboring country,” Khair al-Din told The Media Line.  

He argued that the underlying problem lies in the competing forces influencing Lebanese decision-making.  

“The agendas controlling Lebanese political decision-making are numerous, placing it entirely outside the national framework,” he said.  

In his assessment, this situation weakens the prospects for establishing stable, institutional relations between Damascus and Beirut, leaving bilateral cooperation vulnerable to domestic political and security disputes.  

Khair al-Din also referred to previous remarks by Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt concerning differences between the political and security dimensions of relations with Syria.  

These developments come as the Syrian and Lebanese governments seek to strengthen official cooperation following the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December 2024, particularly on border management, refugee issues, and security coordination.  

The Homs refinery is economically significant as one of Syria’s main facilities for producing petroleum products. In October, it underwent maintenance and rehabilitation work intended to support domestic production.  

While Syrian authorities maintain that they thwarted an attack against a vital energy facility, Hezbollah continues to deny any connection to the alleged plot. The dispute raises questions about how the accusations could affect security cooperation between Damascus and Beirut.  

Syrian authorities have not yet publicly released detailed judicial findings or independently verifiable evidence sufficient to establish the suspects’ alleged links to Hezbollah, as the two governments continue efforts to address shared challenges despite ongoing political and regional disagreements.