Hezbollah’s Military Tools: An Illustrated Breakdown

 Hezbollah is widely regarded as the most heavily armed non-state actor globally. Supported by Iran and operating from Lebanon in the eastern Mediterranean, this Shia Islamist group has been in ongoing clashes with Israeli forces along Lebanon’s southern border since October.

These border skirmishes have heightened fears of a broader regional conflict and sparked vigorous diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions. While Hezbollah’s military capabilities may not rival those of Israel, its advancing weaponry poses a substantial threat to Israel and its regional allies.

Hezbollah possesses the capability to target any part of Israel with its missile arsenal. Although Israel’s military superiority greatly surpasses that of Hezbollah, the Iran-supported group is equipped with missiles that have a range of up to 500 kilometers. For these missiles to be effective, they would need to evade Israel's Iron Dome defense system.

          Israel is surrounded by Iran-backed fighting groups
Hezbollah maintains robust alliances within the Iran-led axis of militant groups across Gaza, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq, with Iran supplying both weapons and training to Hezbollah. Since the October 7 attack, these groups have significantly enhanced their coordination.


Hezbollah's extensive military arsenal
Hezbollah is likely the most heavily armed non-state actor globally, with a more advanced and destructive arsenal compared to Hamas. Despite this, its capabilities are still outmatched by the military strength of Israel.

Israel also faces challenges from Hezbollah’s strategic positioning. The group is part of an Iran-backed coalition that includes militants in Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. Since October, this coalition has seen increased coordination following Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which was launched in response to attacks by Hamas militants. This coalition is often referred to in Israel as the "ring of fire."

Over the past ten months, Hezbollah's regional allies have been engaged in various conflicts with Israel and its partners. The Houthis in Yemen have intermittently targeted ships in the Red Sea and Israeli interests. In Iraq, the Islamic Resistance, a coalition of hardline Shia groups, has attacked US positions. This coalition has tied the reduction of these hostilities to a ceasefire in Gaza, positioning themselves as a "supportive front" for Palestinians, according to a senior Hezbollah official.

Hezbollah’s fighting force emerged from the rubble of Israel’s 1982 invasion of Beirut. At the time, it was a rag-tag group of Islamist fighters supported by Iran’s fledgling Islamic Republic. This was followed by a meteoric rise in the group’s military and political might. In 2000, its guerrilla fighters forced Israeli forces to withdraw from south Lebanon, ending a more-than-20-year occupation. In 2006, it survived a 34-day war with Israel that wreaked havoc on Lebanon.

During Syria’s uprising-turned-civil war in the 2010s, it fought on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as he brutally quashed armed opposition forces and inflicted a huge civilian death toll. As it fought in the trenches of that nearly decade-long war, Hezbollah became seasoned in urban warfare and solidified its alliances with other Iran-backed groups fighting in Syria. It also cleared a vital supply route for weapons between Iran and Lebanon, via its partners in Iraq and Syria, further bolstering its arsenal.

Throughout its decades-long conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has been engaged in asymmetric warfare. It has sought to grow its political and military might, while seeking to establish deterrence despite Israel’s military superiority.

But Hezbollah threads the needle carefully. Provoking Israel’s full firepower could significantly degrade the group’s capabilities, setting it back years – if not decades – and destroying large parts of Lebanon, which has buckled under the weight of its years-long financial crisis.

The group has already lost more than 400 fighters, including commanders, in border confrontations with Israel since October. Around 150 civilians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to CNN’s analysis of publicly available figures. The impact on Israel has also been considerable, with over 60,000 people displaced from its northern border area, and scores killed, including soldiers and civilians.

                   

As border confrontations persist, Hezbollah has made efforts, with some success, to challenge Israel’s highly regarded Iron Dome missile defense system. The group has targeted Iron Dome platforms and attempted to overwhelm the system with swarms of drones and short-range missiles. This strategy aims to create vulnerabilities and allow other projectiles to penetrate deeper into Israeli territory.

**How It Works: Israel's Iron Dome Defense System**

The Iron Dome is a mobile air defense system designed to intercept and destroy incoming rockets, mortars, and drones. It comprises approximately 10 batteries, each equipped with three to four missile launchers. Each interceptor missile costs between $40,000 and $50,000. Strategically positioned, these batteries protect up to 60 square miles of populated areas. Israel has historically claimed a success rate exceeding 90% for the system.

Hezbollah’s chances of survival in an all-out war with Israel is hinged on whether or not it can outsmart these systems which have in recent months intercepted thousands of airborne weapons from Iran, Gaza and Lebanon