Hezbollah
Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite terror organization that functions as a state-within-a-state. As of September 2026, the group is severely degraded following the elimination of its senior leadership and the systematic destruction of its strategic infrastructure, including the massive Ali al-Taher ridge command complex. While it continues to conduct lethal ceasefire violations and remains under direct Iranian command, its military capacity is estimated at roughly 8% of its pre-war levels.
Hezbollah — Arabic for "Party of God" — was founded in the early 1980s with support from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It has long served as Iran's primary proxy on Israel's northern border, maintaining a massive rocket arsenal and sophisticated military infrastructure. Since October 8, 2023, the organization has been in a continuous conflict with Israel, which escalated into a full-scale war leading to the 2024 elimination of its long-time leader Hassan Nasrallah and subsequent IDF ground maneuvers.
Current Status (September 2026)
By late 2026, Hezbollah's military capabilities have been drastically degraded. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reported that the group retains only about 8% of its original rocket capacity. In September 2026, the IDF completed the destruction of one of the group's most significant strategic assets: the underground command complex beneath the Ali al-Taher ridge. This network, built over two decades with Iranian funding, comprised eight tunnels spanning over 5.4 kilometers and was designed to facilitate a large-scale invasion of the Galilee. The IDF used over 1,100 tons of explosives to neutralize this infrastructure, which housed command rooms for the Badr unit and vast quantities of Iranian-made weaponry.
Iranian Oversight and Regional Isolation
Tehran has deepened direct control, with IRGC commanders joining Hezbollah's leadership council. Following the death of Ali Khamenei, his successor Mojtaba Khamenei has reportedly ordered the IRGC to prepare aggressive attacks against Israel using Hezbollah assets. Despite this, the group faces unprecedented isolation. The new Syrian administration has officially designated Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and the United States has classified it as an Iranian organization under direct IRGC command, applying the same sanctions regime to both entities.
Security Zone and Ceasefire Violations
While a ceasefire was reached in June 2026, Hezbollah continues to conduct attacks, including the use of FPV drones against IDF troops. In response, the IDF has maintained a security zone in southern Lebanon to prevent the group from re-establishing its border infrastructure. Israeli security assessments now rank Iran as the primary theater of war, with Lebanon downgraded to a secondary front as the IDF focuses on preventing the rehabilitation of Hezbollah's offensive capabilities.