Hezbollah Struggles Financially as Compensation Delays Fuel Lebanese Anger
New testimonies from Lebanese residents reveal Hezbollah is facing severe financial difficulties, struggling to sustain itself amid dwindling funds and delayed compensation payments. Since the 2024 conflict, Hezbollah promised to pay $12,000 to $14,000 per family for homes damaged in southern Lebanon, but many residents, like Lina from the Bekaa region, report not receiving the promised aid. Lina said she still holds an uncashed check months after the war and is considering covering repair costs herself due to lack of clear answers from the group.
According to the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa Al-Watan, Hezbollah continues to pay its fighters, with salaries ranging from $600 to $700 depending on rank and mission, but has cut some social benefits and compensation payments. A source told the paper that Hezbollah’s current focus is survival, directing most Iranian funding toward rebuilding its weapons stockpile rather than humanitarian or social support.
The source explained that Hezbollah’s financial resources have been severely restricted by tighter controls at Beirut airport and border crossings, as well as crackdowns on affiliated financial institutions like Al-Qard Al-Hasan and related fuel stations and money changers. These measures have forced Hezbollah and Iran to seek more complicated and limited funding routes.
Before the war, the U.S. State Department estimated Iran sent Hezbollah about $700 million annually, but recent reports indicate Tehran increased support to nearly $1 billion last year, mainly through informal money transfer systems like Hawala. Despite this, escalating war expenses have outpaced funding, leaving Hezbollah in a precarious financial state. The U.S. Treasury’s sanctions on Lebanese money changers last November highlighted these covert financial flows.
Hezbollah’s financial strain is causing growing frustration among Lebanese civilians who rely on promised reparations, while the group prioritizes military readiness over social welfare amid ongoing regional tensions.
