Iranian and Syrian drug networks have moved parts of their illicit production and trafficking operations to Yemen following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government last year, according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Yemeni officials cited by AFP.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government recently seized 447 kilograms of narcotics and performance-enhancing substances, largely amphetamine-based, during coordinated land and maritime raids.
WADA chief Gunter Younger described the operation as “a landmark moment,” saying it reflects stronger enforcement efforts against banned substances.
WADA and Yemeni authorities assessed that Syria’s previous role as a safe haven for drug production collapsed with Assad’s ouster in December, pushing regional manufacturers to relocate to Yemen, where prolonged conflict has weakened state oversight.
Major Murad al-Radwany, Interpol’s Yemen-based internal security coordinator, told AFP that Iranian support played a direct role in establishing new drug production sites.
“Iran is the one that provided the experts with financial support and modern equipment, and investigations have proven this, as well as the experts’ confessions,” he said.
He added that the dismantled laboratory uncovered by Yemeni forces was “the first factory to be set up in Yemen and equipped with the latest modern devices,” with plans underway to build additional facilities in other cities for stimulant production.
According to Radwany, the Iran-aligned Houthis movement, which controls much of Yemen’s population, views drug manufacturing and smuggling as a source of income, facilitating shipments to neighboring countries. He said Iran seeks to export narcotics to Arab states to undermine security in Yemen and the wider region.
These assessments align with earlier reports documenting how years of instability in Syria transformed the country into a major hub for the amphetamine-based drug Captagon, with Iran-backed militias and other proxy groups involved in smuggling operations across the Middle East.
In 2025, Syrian authorities arrested a militia figure linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on charges related to drug trafficking and antiquities smuggling.
In response to the new allegations, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP that the claims are ‘unfounded.’ However, growing drug seizures and intelligence findings have intensified calls for independent investigations into Iran’s role in regional narcotics networks.
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