On 12 December, Lebanon’s cabinet banned the import of scrap metal from Syria, following the Scrap Wars investigation by The New Arab, SIRAJ and El País, with support from Journalismfund Europe.
The investigation, published in October 2025, showed how Lebanon has acted as a transhipment hub for ferrous scrap bound for Turkey, where steel mills recycle the metal and export finished products to European markets. Reporters found that scrap originating from conflict zones, including Syria, is often processed with little scrutiny, despite widespread human rights abuses in the supply chain. These include children and other vulnerable people being paid just cents per kilogram of scrap collected.
The reporting also highlighted how the $46bn global scrap metal industry can enable sanctioned warlords to finance armed groups, drawing parallels with the trade in blood diamonds and gold. For Syria, the trade was a key source of hard currency under the now-toppled Assad regime, with the Armoured Fourth Division — led by Bashar al-Assad’s cousin Maher — playing a central role in dismantling war-damaged neighbourhoods for scrap.
Lebanese daily Nidaa al-Watan linked the ban to a broader crackdown on Lebanon’s cash economy, which US officials view as an indirect lifeline for Hezbollah. The decision was reportedly taken at the request of Lebanon’s finance ministry. The reporters found no credible evidence that Hezbollah was directly involved in scrap metal smuggling, although the group has previously been linked to arms trafficking.
Image by The New Arab (taken from Lebanese Council of Ministers)
