Lebanese Sources Claim Hezbollah Preparing for Renewed War

Lebanese security sources have claimed that Hezbollah has received tens of millions of dollars in cash from Iran to bolster its military capabilities and has spent the last three months preparing for a potential resumption of war with Israel. These sources indicated that the group's efforts have focused on acquiring explosives and producing drones for targeting Israeli sites, despite its forces and military stockpiles not being fully equipped. According to a Reuters report on Monday, citing Lebanese security officials familiar with Hezbollah's activities, the group has used the relative calm since June to rearm. One security source and another described as close to Hezbollah stated that the Iranian military funding is in addition to approximately $200 million previously provided by Tehran to assist displaced families in Hezbollah strongholds, as reported by Reuters previously. Hezbollah had acknowledged this month that explosives seized by Lebanese authorities belonged to them and were intended for use against Israel. A Hezbollah official and a security source told Reuters that these explosives were specifically for their explosive-laden drones. One Lebanese source and three security officials mentioned that Hezbollah needs to rebuild its command and control systems, which they claimed collapsed in major battles, including clashes in the town of Bint Jbeil and on the Ali Taher hill in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's media office rejected the characterization of these systems as having collapsed. The sources also suggested that Hezbollah's reliance on small units and rationing of anti-tank missiles led to some of its units becoming isolated on certain fronts, facing difficulties against Israeli remote-controlled systems, including drones and vehicles. The Israeli military told Reuters it uses these systems to monitor southern Lebanon and reduce its forces' exposure to threats. Hezbollah's media office, in response to Reuters' questions, affirmed that the ongoing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territories makes its resistance a legitimate right. The Israeli military declined to comment on Hezbollah's preparations, and Iran's mission to the UN in Geneva did not respond to Reuters' inquiries. A US State Department spokesperson stated that Washington will continue to tighten Hezbollah's financial resources through sanctions and other measures, while a US Treasury spokesperson claimed Iran is running out of funds and means of transport. These preparations come amid heightened tensions following the US-Israeli war on Iran in February. On March 2, Hezbollah joined the confrontation in support of Tehran, which was followed by an Israeli attack on Lebanon resulting in over 4,000 deaths and displacing about a quarter of the population, mostly from the Shiite sect to which Hezbollah belongs. Hostilities decreased over the summer after a temporary US-Iranian agreement included a ceasefire in Lebanon, coinciding with US-mediated Lebanese-Israeli talks. Although the agreement collapsed, large-scale hostilities did not resume in Lebanon, though Israel continued its deadly raids in the south. Hezbollah remains on alert for the possibility of a renewed US-Iranian confrontation extending to Lebanon, without stating whether it will participate in a new round of fighting. According to Reuters, its media office indicated it fears providing Israeli leaders with a justification to expand their attacks, especially with concerns about displacing its supporters again.