Which will in turn be used to kill Sunni jihadists, so no complaints from me.

(Reuters) – Iran has significantly stepped up military support to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in recent months, solidifying its position alongsideRussia as the government’s lifeline in an increasingly sectarian civil war, Western diplomats said.

Iranian weapons continue to pour into Syria from Iraq but also increasingly along other routes, including via Turkey and Lebanon, in violation of a U.N. arms embargo on Iran, Western officials told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Iraqi and Turkish officials denied the allegations.

It also highlights the growing sectarian nature of the conflict, diplomats say, with Iranian arms flowing to the Shi’ite militant group Hezbollah. That group is increasingly active on the ground in Syria in support of Assad’s forces, envoys say. […]

Once in Syria, he said, the arms were distributed to government forces and allied militia, including Hezbollah.

“The equipment being transferred by both companies (Iran and Mahan Air) … ranges from communications equipment to light arms and advanced strategic weapons, some of which are being used devastatingly by Hezbollah and the Syrian regime against the Syrian people,” said the Western intelligence report.

“The more sophisticated gear includes parts for various hardware such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), shore-to-sea missiles and surface-to-surface ballistic missiles (SSMs),” the report said. “Other weapons are being used by Syrian security forces, pro-Assad shabbiha militiamen, and Lebanese Hezbollah.”

There are about 5 tons of arms per flight, which are occurring on a near weekly basis, hidden in the bottom of the planes’ fuselages, the report said, adding that arms cargo was removed separately after civilian cargo was unloaded.