Hezbollah

Hezbollah is a Lebanese political, paramilitary and Shiite-religious movement group backed by Iran. Founded in 1982 under different names amid Israel’s invasion of Lebanon that year, it has been engaged in repeated clashes with Israel. The latest chapter in this long-running conflict began on Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah opened a "support front" for Gaza. During the ensuing war, the party suffered heavy losses, including the assassination of numerous military and political leaders, among them Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, killed on Sept. 27, 2024, in a massive Israeli bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Since the cease-fire on Nov. 27, 2024, Hezbollah — now led by Naim Qassem — has faced mounting pressure, both domestically and internationally, to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese state.

1.⁠ ⁠What is Hezbollah, and how was it formed?

Hezbollah was founded in 1982, though it did not adopt its current name until 1985. The organization combines political and armed elements: its military wing is known as the Jihad Council, while its political presence is represented in Lebanon’s parliament through the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc. Several countries — including the United States and the United Kingdom — classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, while others maintain political or diplomatic ties with it.

2.⁠ ⁠What is the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran?

From the 1950s to the 1970s, Lebanon’s Shiite community was politically marginalized and economically disadvantaged, concentrated mainly in the South and the Bekaa Valley. Under the 1943 National Pact, the presidency was reserved for Christians and the prime minister position for Sunnis, leaving Shiites with the largely symbolic role of Parliament speaker. After Israel’s 1982 invasion, Iran sought to expand its influence in the region. Tehran sent roughly 1,000 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members to the Bekaa Valley, where they trained and armed Shiite militias while promoting the revolutionary ideology of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. At the same time, dozens of Lebanese Shiite clerics studied in Qom, Iran — including Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s third secretary-general. Rather than backing an existing Lebanese group, Iran played a direct role in shaping Hezbollah’s organizational and ideological structure. By the 1990s and 2000s, Iranian funding increased sharply, reaching several hundred million dollars annually. This enabled Hezbollah to expand its military capabilities and establish a vast network of social, educational and media institutions. The movement became a dominant force in Shiite-majority areas — southern Lebanon, Bekaa Valley, Beirut's southern suburbs — often functioning as a state within a state.

3.⁠ ⁠What was Hezbollah’s position after Oct. 7, 2023?

On Oct. 8, 2023, following Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel, Hezbollah opened what it described as a “support front” for the Palestinians. Initially, attrition clashes were limited, although several of the group’s military leaders were killed. The situation escalated on Sept. 17–18, 2024, when a coordinated Israeli operation triggered the pagers and walkie-talkies explosions, killing 42 people and injuring at least 3,500, including civilians. On Sept. 23, Israel launched extensive strikes on southern Lebanon, killing more than 500 people in a single day. These attacks marked the start of a two-month attrition war between Israel and Hezbollah, during which the party's secretary-general, Nasrallah, was assassinated on Sept. 27. A cease-fire was finally concluded on Nov. 27, 2024, ending the major escalation. Yet, Israeli forces continue to occupy positions in southern Lebanon and conduct near-daily strikes in the South, Bekaa Valley and, occasionally, Beirut’s southern suburbs. In the latest strike on the capital's suburbs on Nov. 23, 2025, Haytham Ali Tabataba’i, commander of the elite al-Radwan forces and a key figure in Hezbollah’s hardline wing, was killed.

4.⁠ ⁠What about Hezbollah’s disarmament?

Hezbollah’s disarmament has been a contentious issue in Lebanese politics for decades. Two United Nations Security Council resolutions address the matter: Resolution 1559 (2004), calling for the disarmament of all militias and organizations in Lebanon, and Resolution 1701 (2006), which reiterates that demand. Under the Nov. 27, 2024, cease-fire agreement, the Lebanese Army is tasked to dismantle Hezbollah’s military presence between the Israeli border and the Litani River, roughly 30 kilometers north. On Sept. 5, 2025, Lebanon's government endorsed — but did not formally adopt — a plan presented by the army outlining a gradual disarmament process. The first major phase, focusing on southern Lebanon, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025. The United States, under President Donald Trump's administration, is applying strong pressure on Beirut to complete Hezbollah’s disarmament.