Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta expressed concerns over Iran’s efforts to destabilize the region through weapons smuggling in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

After a report showed that Iran tried to ship antiaircraft missiles to Yemen, Panetta stated that “there is no question when you start passing [antiaircraft missiles] around, that becomes a threat.”

Panetta also discussed how this threat from Iran is heightened by the ongoing unrest in Syria and also increases the likelihood of Hizballah obtaining sophisticated weapons to attack Israel, according to Agence France Presse.

In order to counter this threat from Iran, Panetta said that the United States is leading a multinational exercise in the United Arab Emirates this week in order to improve Arab states’ capabilities to halt Iranian arms transfers.