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The IRGC Keeps Hizbullah in Power Despite Its Military Losses
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Hanin Ghaddar - With its military infrastructure substantially degraded, its communication networks heavily infiltrated by Israeli intelligence, and its command structure shattered, Hizbullah is a shaky, tired shadow of itself at the moment. Its goal is to survive and rebuild while maintaining a minimal level of kinetic action against Israel. One crucial factor in achieving this goal is continued Iranian funding. Tehran was still able to send Hizbullah $1 billion in 2025 in the period between major Israeli campaigns. The group used this money to import military materiel, produce more missiles and large quantities of cheap, unjammable drones, recruit more fighters, and pay salaries to its existing fighters and essential staff. When Lebanon formed a new government in February 2025, Hizbullah, enabled by its top political ally, parliament speaker Nabih Berri, insisted on choosing friendly officials to head the General Security Directorate (GSD) and the Ministry of Finance. As long as Hizbullah retains these domestic levers and access to its patrons in Iran, it will find a way to rebuild. As the Trump administration works to finalize the terms of an agreement on ending the Iran war, it should not let Tehran introduce any provisions related to the negotiations in Lebanon. The writer is a Senior Fellow in The Washington Institute's Program on Arab Politics.