Hezbollah spends months rebuilding drone capacity with Iranian cash

Hezbollah has spent the past three months rebuilding its military capabilities, focusing on drone production and command restoration, following a new injection of cash from Iran. The effort comes as the group prepares for a potential return to combat with Israel, according to Lebanese security personnel familiar with the operations.

The group, which was founded by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 1982, has suffered severe losses in two conflicts with Israel since 2024. Thousands of fighters and many senior leaders were killed, and a large portion of its arsenal was destroyed. Despite these setbacks, the organization remains committed to attacking Israel and has used the lull in fighting since June to rearm.

Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters that Hezbollah received tens of millions of dollars from Iran to boost its military strength. This new funding supplements approximately $200 million that Tehran previously provided to the group, a sum reported by Reuters earlier this month. The money is being directed toward procuring explosives and manufacturing drones designed to fly into the security zone currently occupied by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.

Command-and-control structures that collapsed during key battles are also being repaired, according to one source and three other security officials. These systems are critical for coordinating attacks from locations such as the flashpoint town of Bint Jbeil and the strategic Ali al-Taher ridge. The group previously struggled to maintain communication links, leading to isolated units that had difficulty confronting Israeli remotely operated systems, including armed drones and vehicles.

Hezbollah's media office rejected the notion that its command systems had broken down, though the group did not explicitly confirm or deny its participation in new hostilities. A spokesperson said the group was wary of giving Israeli leaders justification to escalate anti-Hezbollah efforts. Israel's military declined to comment, while Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations in Geneva did not immediately respond to inquiries.

Washington continues to pressure the group financially. A US State Department spokesman said the US would keep strangling Hezbollah's finances through sanctions, while a US Treasury spokesperson noted that Iran is running out of money and methods to move it. The group is also on alert for a broader US-Iran escalation that could reignite fighting in Lebanon. Although full-scale hostilities have not resumed since the interim deal collapsed, Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets in the south.

Sources indicated that Hezbollah has not yet fully prepared its stockpiles or fighting force. 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 specified that the materials were for explosive drones. The group is still in the process of restocking these supplies as it maintains a defensive posture in the region.