Hezbollah’s financial resources include drug money

CAIRO – 27 November 2017: Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has reiterated that Iran is the only and main funder of his group, but Hezbollah, as an armed group, relies on other financial resources inside and outside Lebanon.

Iranian financial support

During the funeral of Hezbollah leader Mustafa Badr Elddin, who was killed in Syria, Nasrallah affirmed that Iran is the only financer of his group. Such financing involves only cash because of the Lebanese banking laws that forbid any financial interaction with Hezbollah.

He stated that “we have neither commercial nor investment projects in banks,” adding that “Hezbollah’s entire budget comes from the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Global reports have revealed that Hezbollah receives approximately $800 million/year from Iran. The Iranian funds are delivered to southern Lebanon, where Nasrallah and Hezbollah are situated.

According to the same reports, Iran is fighting to save Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria because it secures this ground route from Iran to Lebanon, across Iraq and Syria.

Members’ donation

Hezbollah’s members inside and outside Lebanon includes businessmen in exile who provide further funding to Hezbollah. Media reports revealed that Hezbollah’s businessmen have a strong presence in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

A Lebanese-French man was arrested months ago at Port Bouet Airport in Côte d'Ivoire while he was trying to smuggle €1.7 million ($2 million) to Hezbollah, according to media reports.

Drug smuggling

It was uncovered that Hezbollah is involved in smuggling operations, most notably drug smuggling in Latin America, international reports stated earlier.

A German magazine reported that “Nasrallah is in charge of the drug smuggling in Syria and Iraq.” It added that a group of Hezbollah’s senior leaders living in southern Lebanon have been involved in a series of money laundering operations in Europe in the past two years, providing an estimated €75 million for Nasrallah’s militias.