The fall of Hosni Mubarak not only left Iran with one less enemy, it also loosened Egypt’s control of the Sinai Peninsula – the preferred route for smuggling arms into the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian enclave is ruled by Hamas, the militant Islamist group that Iran funds and arms. Iran is evidently eager to exploit opportunities in the Sinai.
On Sunday, Egyptian border guards stopped five trucks just north of its border with Sudan. Shots were fired and the drivers fled, leaving behind a cargo of mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, assault rifles and explosives. Egyptian officials told reporters the ordnance was headed for delivery to Hamas through the web of tunnels that run under Egypt’s border with Gaza. A report from Sudan put the number of trucks at seven.
