Hezbollah Preserves Military Continuity but Struggles to Restore Leadership Quality
A new intelligence report reveals that Hezbollah has preserved its military continuity but struggles to restore its former leadership quality. The group is adopting a decentralized, secretive structure heavily influenced by Iran.
Hezbollah has managed to preserve its organizational and military continuity despite unprecedented blows to its leadership, according to a report published by the Amit Institute for Terrorism and Intelligence Research. However, the organization has reportedly failed to significantly restore the quality of leadership and combat capability that characterized the era of former leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The document, authored by researcher Yuval Rosenberg, notes that Hezbollah is transitioning from a model reliant on personal authority, accumulated experience, and direct ties among veteran commanders to a decentralized and compartmentalized system. In this new structure, authority is distributed among multiple power centers, and Iranian involvement has grown significantly.
The Challenge and Role of the Revolutionary Guards
"This shift may increase the survival of the military apparatus and make it harder to target the command chain, but at the same time it weakens cohesion," the document states. "Coordination and the ability to formulate a unified strategic policy are diminished. Therefore, the central challenge for the new leadership is not merely staffing roles or continuing military activity, but transforming the rebuilt system into an effective leadership capable of coordinating between the political wing, the military wing, and the Iranian patron."
According to the report, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plays a prominent role in rebuilding the military apparatus, training commanders, and renewing command and control mechanisms, alongside reports of direct Iranian involvement in decision-making and operational guidance.
An investigation by the French daily Le Figaro, cited in the report, described the reconstruction of Hezbollah's military structure following a period of severe disruption caused by targeted assassinations, followed by the establishment of a more clandestine command framework.
Hezbollah parliament member Ali Fayyad confirmed that the terrorist organization possesses "a new secret military structure, with a younger and more dynamic leadership." At the same time, an organization source noted that Hezbollah is operating covertly, reminiscent of the 1980s, while separating the military wing from the political branch and shortening command chains.
The report also stated that Hezbollah conducted internal reviews addressing security and organizational failures, the consequences of its involvement in Syria, and the factors that enabled intelligence penetration into its ranks. These measures included punitive actions, dismissals, and the reassignment of officials, alongside tightened security protocols, enhanced compartmentalization, and a reassessment of its organizational structure and alliance network.
