Hezbollah Rebuilds Drone Capacity With $200 Million in Iranian Cash
Security officials say the Lebanese group has spent three months restoring command structures and stockpiling explosives for potential new strikes.
By Amina Kaminski ·
Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Hezbollah received tens of millions of dollars in fresh cash from Iran, a sum that sits on top of the roughly $200 million the group already obtained from Tehran earlier this month. The funding is being directed toward a three-month effort to rearm the militia in preparation for a possible resumption of hostilities with Israel.
The group, which was founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1982, has suffered severe losses in two wars with Israel since 2024. Thousands of fighters and numerous leaders were killed, and much of its arsenal was destroyed. Despite these setbacks, Hezbollah remains committed to attacking Israel. The organization has used the lull in fighting that has persisted since June to focus on procuring explosives and manufacturing drones capable of penetrating the security zone currently occupied by Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
According to one security source and three other officials familiar with the group's operations, Hezbollah has been working to restore command and control structures that collapsed during key battles. The group's tactic of operating in small units and rationing anti-tank rockets left some formations isolated on fronts such as the town of Bint Jbeil and the Ali al-Taher ridge. Those units struggled against Israeli remotely operated systems, which include weaponized drones and armed remote-controlled vehicles.
Hezbollah's media office rejected the assertion that its command and control systems had broken down. The group acknowledged this month that explosives seized by Lebanese authorities belonged to it and were intended for use against Israel. A Hezbollah official and a Lebanese security source confirmed that the seized materials were specifically designated for the group's explosive drones.
The rebuilding effort occurs against a backdrop of continued regional tension following the US-Israeli war with Iran that began in February. Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Iran on March 2, an action that triggered an Israeli response and led to the evacuation of many individuals, mostly members of Hezbollah's Shi'ite Muslim constituency, from southern Lebanon. Hostilities largely abated over the summer as an interim deal between Iran and the United States included a Lebanon ceasefire and Washington-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel.
Full-scale hostilities have not resumed in Lebanon despite the later collapse of the US-Iranian agreement, though Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in the south. The US State Department said Washington would continue to constrain Hezbollah's finances through sanctions. A US Treasury spokesperson noted that Iran was running out of money and methods to move it. Israel's military declined to comment, and Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva did not immediately respond to questions.
Sources indicated that Hezbollah has not yet fully prepared its stockpiles or fighting force. The group is on alert for a potential escalation between the United States and Iran, which could reignite the Lebanon front. While Hezbollah has not explicitly stated whether it will join new hostilities, its media office said it is wary of giving Israeli leaders justification to escalate anti-Hezbollah efforts.
