Hezbollah Is Down But Not Out

Hezbollah Is Down But Not Out

Undermining the group in Lebanon requires targeting its networks abroad.

Billboards show Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem (center) and his slain predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah, during a ceremony marking the first anniversary of Nasrallah's death, in Deir Qanoun al-Nahr, Lebanon, on Sept. 27. November 6, 2025, 11:53 AM Comment icon View Comments ( )

After being battered by Israel, Hezbollah is working to replenish its badly damaged capabilities. Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, was in Beirut last month to press Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to disarm the Iran-backed group—but she found out, if she hadn’t suspected already, that it is easier said than done.

Iran remains Hezbollah’s primary patron, as underscored by the U.S.