What Weapons Does Lebanon’s Hezbollah Have?

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and militant group and is one of the most heavily armed non-state actors globally. The group is primarily supported by Iran.

This week the group made headlines as they issued a warning to Israel regarding the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The military group’s second-in-command Naim Qassem said the group is prepared to engage in full-scale conflict if necessary.

A Brief History of Hezbollah

Hezbollah emerged during Lebanon’s civil war in the 1980s. The group was originally formed in response to the Israeli occupation. Israel occupied South Lebanon for decades until the Israeli military withdrew in 2000.

The Hezbollah military wing is considered stronger than the Lebanese national army and has been involved in numerous conflicts, including with Israel. Hezbollah’s arsenal has been a focal point of tension and concern for both regional and international actors.

Hezbollah has accelerated its action against Israel in response to Israel’s war with Hamas, which has killed over 36,000 people in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials. Israel took action after Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel on October 7, which killed roughly 1,200 people and saw about 250 people taken hostage.

Israel’s military actions in Gaza have triggered what groups including the United Nations have described as a humanitarian crisis.

What Weapons does Hezbollah have?

Hezbollah is supported and supplied weapons by Iran. Its military strength is characterized by a rocket arsenal. This is an outline of the weapons it is reported that Hezbollah has, as per reporting from Reuters.

Rockets and Missiles: Hezbollah’s military strength is anchored in its vast rocket arsenal, estimated to include over 150,000 missiles and rockets. These range from unguided artillery rockets to precision-guided missiles. Key models include the Iranian-made Raad, Fajr, and Zilzal rockets, as well as Russian-made Katyusha rockets. The group has also enhanced its capabilities by retrofitting unguided rockets with precision guidance systems, allowing them to hit specific targets across Israel.

Anti-Tank Missiles: Hezbollah possesses advanced anti-tank missiles, including the Russian-made Kornet and the Iranian Toophan, a reverse-engineered version of the American TOW missile. These have been effectively used against Israeli armor, including during the 2006 Lebanon War.

Anti-Aircraft Missiles: While Hezbollah has occasionally used surface-to-air missiles, their effectiveness remains a subject of speculation. Recently, the group claimed to have downed Israeli drones using such missiles, marking a potential increase in their aerial defense capabilities.

Anti-Ship Missiles: Hezbollah has demonstrated anti-ship capabilities, notably hitting an Israeli warship with a missile during the 2006 conflict. The group is believed to possess Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles, which can target offshore infrastructure and naval vessels.

Drones: Hezbollah utilizes drones primarily for reconnaissance and, occasionally, for offensive operations. These drones, like the locally-assembled Ayoub and Mersad models, are relatively inexpensive to produce and can strain Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.

Land attack rockets and missiles: Hezbollah have Iranian models of land attack rockets and missiles. Hassan Nasrallah, who is the leader of Hezbollah, said in 2022 that Hezbollah had the ability to retrofit rockets with guidance systems to make them precision missiles. Rockets which have been fired at Israel by Hezbollah since the beginning of the Gaza conflict include the Katyusha and Burkan missiles.