Iran’s IRGC reportedly assumes command of Hezbollah as threat of US strike grows

Officers from Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have taken over management of the Tehran-backed terrorist militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, Arab media outlets reported Sunday.

The move comes amid concerns over potential U.S. and Israeli military strikes on the Islamic Republic, with Hezbollah reportedly preparing for the possibility of large-scale targeting.

While Hezbollah is the Iranian regime’s strongest terrorist proxy in the Middle East, the militant group until recently retained a degree of independence under its own Lebanon-based leadership. However, it has been severely weakened in the latest war with Israel, during which the Israeli military eliminated most of Hezbollah’s top leadership – including Hassan Nasrallah – killed thousands of operatives, and degraded much of the group’s missile capabilities.

The IRGC and its overseas Quds Force have traditionally armed and trained Hezbollah operatives while serving in an advisory capacity. However, unnamed sources told Al Hadath and Al Arabiya that IRGC officers have now stepped in to manage Hezbollah’s strategic war planning.

A severely weakened Hezbollah reluctantly agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Israel in November 2024. The agreement stipulates that the group must withdraw from southern Lebanon and disarm. However, Hezbollah has so far refused to do so and has continued rebuilding its military capabilities with Iranian assistance.

The Israeli military has responded with ongoing strikes against Hezbollah assets and senior operatives across Lebanon. Several Hezbollah terrorists were eliminated on Friday in an Israeli airstrike. Hezbollah and Iranian leaders reportedly view this as a potential precursor to broader Israeli operations against the group’s remaining forces.

In November 2025, U.S. Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John Hurley warned that the Iranian regime had transferred some $1 billion to Hezbollah despite strong U.S. and Western sanctions on Iran’s economy.

“The key to that is to drive out the Iranian influence and control that starts with all the money that they are pumping into Hezbollah,” Hurley said. “Even with everything Iran has been through, even with the economy not in great shape, they’re still pumping a lot of money to their terrorist proxies."

While Hezbollah and its patron in Tehran are preparing for potential war with the U.S. and Israel, many Lebanese officials want their country to remain neutral in any conflict. Many Lebanese fear that Hezbollah will once again seek to drag the country into an Iranian-led war against Israel, which could have devastating consequences for Lebanon’s fragile and financially weakened state.

Israel has called on the Lebanese government to assume responsibility for its territory and prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its terrorist bases along the border. Jerusalem has also warned that it will continue taking military action against Hezbollah to protect northern Israeli communities. The Israeli military’s 91st Division commander, Brig.-Gen. Yuval Gaz, said Wednesday that the military would remain “on the attack” in Lebanon.

“I am here to tell you that we are preparing for various scenarios. We have operational plans to act immediately, and our forces are distributed along the entire border and deep into the territory,” Gaz said, without elaborating.