The drought is coming: Israel and the US agree to plug Hezbollah's financial lifeline
According to reports from Lebanon, the US and Israel are advancing measures to weaken Hezbollah's economic infrastructure. The focus is on subjecting financial bodies to regulation, monitoring money changers, and combating gold trading networks.
Pressure on Hezbollah is expanding from the military arena to the economic one. Lebanese sources told the "Aram News" website that work has recently begun on several tracks simultaneously, designed to reduce the organization's financial, legal, and operational capabilities, against the backdrop of American and Israeli pressure that intensified during the latest round of contacts in Rome.
According to the sources, Washington has made it clear that, from its perspective, a long-term settlement in southern Lebanon cannot be limited to dealing with Hezbollah's weapons alone. The demand is to also strike at the economic and legal infrastructure that allows the organization to rehabilitate itself after every round of fighting and to manage an independent system outside of Lebanon's official financial framework.
"Al-Qard al-Hassan" in focus
The reports point to a shift in the American-Israeli emphasis regarding Hezbollah. While in the past the main effort was directed at the rocket arsenal, tunnels, and military infrastructure, the focus is now shifting to what is defined in the West as "Hezbollah's economy." The assumption is that as long as funding networks continue to operate, the organization can rehabilitate a significant portion of its capabilities even after severe damage to its military apparatus.
Reports claim that the US Treasury Department has expanded sanctions in recent months on entities and individuals that Washington identifies as a central part of Hezbollah's funding apparatus. Among other things, entities related to gold trading were mentioned, which the Americans believe are sometimes used to convert assets into liquidity and bypass money transfer restrictions.
The most sensitive issue is "Al-Qard al-Hassan," which has operated since 1987 and expanded its activity to providing loans, mortgages, and savings. According to the sources, the discussion today does not necessarily concern closing it by political decision, but the possibility of subjecting it and similar bodies to the regulations that apply to the Lebanese financial system, including licensing, supervision, and reporting obligations.
The sources note that American pressure is aimed at tightening and enforcing existing laws regarding financial bodies, strengthening anti-money laundering and terror financing laws, and increasing supervision over money changers and electronic wallets. From Washington's perspective, the activity of financial bodies on a significant scale outside the official banking system creates funding channels that are difficult to track, allowing Hezbollah to manage resources far from state oversight.
The struggle moves to the center of gravity
Hezbollah rejects the pressure, claiming it is aimed at the organization's political and social presence rather than just its military power. Secretary-General Naim Qassem has stated that sanctions will not lead to a change in policy. However, according to Lebanese sources, the nature of the confrontation is changing. Instead of focusing only on weapons depots and military commanders, the effort is directed at Hezbollah's ability to fund institutions and preserve the economic network that strengthens its status within its support base.
This is no longer a side issue but part of the American vision for a future settlement in Lebanon: not just distancing fighters from the border, but also reducing the economic and legal system that allowed Hezbollah to build mechanisms parallel to those of the state. The campaign is moving from what is above and below ground to the money that allows the entire system to continue operating.
