Israel and US Eliminate Hezbollah's Economic Lifeline
Israel, the US, and Lebanon are running a joint campaign to dry up Hezbollah's funding sources, including strikes on banks and money changers, blocking smuggling routes, and pressuring the Lebanese financial system. According to a New York Times investigation, the organization is facing its most severe financial crisis in years, forcing it to freeze payments, sell gold reserves, and switch to alternative money transfer methods.
Israel, the US, and Lebanon are jointly working to economically strangle Hezbollah, as part of an aggressive campaign targeting the organization's funding sources. The first strikes in the current campaign, launched by the IDF last March, targeted bank branches, money changers, and gas stations, aiming to hit the organization's 'pocket.' According to a comprehensive investigation published in the New York Times, the campaign is managed in cooperation with the Trump administration and the Lebanese government, pushing Hezbollah into its most severe financial crisis in years. The peak was in late 2024, with the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, which cut off the land smuggling route from Iran. In response, Iran tried to transfer suitcases of dollars on civilian flights to Beirut, but an Israeli warning led to the suspension of flights. Under American pressure, a new governor was appointed to the Lebanese central bank, Karim Saad, who purged pro-Hezbollah officials and opened investigations into money-changing networks. As a result, the organization has been forced to rely on pirate networks and the 'hawala' system through the UAE, Turkey, and Iraq. Hezbollah's welfare system is collapsing, and the organization's spokesman, Youssef al-Zein, admitted to freezing compensation payments to supporters. Additionally, the organization is selling gold reserves through shell companies, after part of its foreign currency reserves were destroyed in strikes.