Editing Hezbollah (section)

== Organization ==
[[File:HezbollahOrgChart.svg|thumb|Organizational chart of Hezbollah, by Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh]]
[[File:Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah 06.jpg|thumb|[[Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah]], the third Secretary General of Hezbollah]]

At the beginning, many Hezbollah leaders maintained that the movement was "not an organization, for its members carry no cards and bear no specific responsibilities",<ref>''[[An-Nahar]]'', 10–16 June 1985; and ''[[La Revue du Liban]]'', 27 July–3 August 1985: quoted in Ranstorp (1997), p. 41</ref> and that the movement does not have "a clearly defined organizational structure".<ref name=magnus97/>{{rp|41}} Today, as Hezbollah scholar [[Magnus Ranstorp]] reports, Hezbollah does actually have a formal governing structure and, in keeping with the principle of [[Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists]] (''velayat-e faqih''), it "concentrate[s]&nbsp;... all authority and powers" on its religious leaders, whose decisions, then, "flow from the ''[[Ulema|ulama]]'' down the entire community".

<blockquote>The supreme decision-making bodies of the Hezbollah were divided between the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Assembly) which was headed by 12 senior clerical members with responsibility for tactical decisions and supervision of overall Hizballah activity throughout Lebanon, and the Majlis al-Shura al-Karar (the Deciding Assembly), headed by Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah and composed of eleven other clerics with responsibility for all strategic matters. Within the Majlis al-Shura, there existed seven specialized committees dealing with ideological, financial, military and political, judicial, informational and social affairs. In turn, the Majlis al-Shura and these seven committees were replicated in each of Hizballah's three main operational areas (the [[Beqaa Governorate|Beqaa]], [[Beirut]], and the South).<ref name=magnus97/>{{rp|45}}</blockquote>

Since the [[Supreme Leader of Iran]] is the ultimate clerical authority, Hezbollah's leaders have appealed to him "for guidance and directives in cases when Hezbollah's collective leadership [was] too divided over issues and fail[ed] to reach a consensus".<ref name=magnus97/>{{rp|45}} After the death of Iran's first Supreme Leader, Khomeini, Hezbollah's governing bodies developed a more "independent role" and appealed to Iran less often.<ref name=magnus97/>{{rp|45}} Since the [[Second Lebanon War]], however, [[Iran]] has restructured Hezbollah to limit the power of [[Hassan Nasrallah]], and invested billions of dollars "rehabilitating" Hezbollah.<ref>Nahmias, Roee. {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130218013917/http://www.ynet.co.il/english/articles/0,7340,L-3278280,00.html "Syria, Iran determined to protect Hizbullah"]}}. ''[[Ynetnews]]''. 19 July 2006. 31 July 2010.</ref>

Structurally, Hezbollah does not distinguish between its political/social activities within Lebanon and its military/''jihad'' activities against Israel. "Hezbollah has a single leadership", according to [[Naim Qassem]], Hezbollah's second in command. "All political, social and jihad work is tied to the decisions of this leadership&nbsp;... The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel."<ref>Daragahi, Borzou. [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-lebanon-hezbollah13-2009apr13,0,5664917.story "Lebanon's Hezbollah savors increasing legitimacy."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. 13 April 2009. 17 April 2009.</ref>

In 2010, Iran's parliamentary speaker [[Ali Larijani]] said, "Iran takes pride in Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement for its steadfast Islamic stance. Hezbollah nurtures the original ideas of Islamic Jihad." He also instead charged the West with having accused Iran with support of terrorism and said, "The real terrorists are those who provide the Zionist regime with military equipment to bomb the people."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siasat.com/english/news/larijani-iran-proud-backing-hezbollah |title=Larijani: Iran proud of backing Hezbollah |publisher=Siasat |date=30 July 2010 |access-date=21 May 2011}}</ref>

=== Funding ===
{{Main|Funding of Hezbollah}}
{{See also|Hezbollah–Iran relations|Drug economy in Lebanon#Hezbollah's involvement in the drug industry}}
[[File:Seyyed Ali Khamenei and Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah by khamenei.ir 01(2005) 02.jpg|thumb|Nasrallah visiting Iranian [[Supreme leader of Iran|Supreme Leader]] [[Ali Khamenei]] in Tehran, August 2005]]
[[File:Nasrallah (Leader of Hezbollah) on Iran.webm|thumb|upright=1|[[Hassan Nasrallah]], former leader of Hezbollah, describing his opinion on [[Ali Khamenei]], the [[supreme leader of Iran]], 2009]]
[[File:Nasrallah Interview about Iran's Help to Hezbollah.webm|thumb|upright=1|[[Nasrallah]] elaborating on helps and financial supports Hezbollah received from [[Iran]], 2020]]
Funding of Hezbollah comes from the Iranian government, Lebanese business groups, private persons, businessmen, the Lebanese diaspora involved in African diamond exploration, other Islamic groups and countries, and the taxes paid by the Shia Lebanese.<ref name=Engeland33>{{cite book|last1=Engeland|first1=Dr Anisseh Van|last2=Rudolph|first2=Ms Rachael M|title=From Terrorism to Politics|date=2013|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-1-4094-9870-4|pages=33–34}}</ref> Hezbollah says that the main source of its income comes from its own investment portfolios and donations by Muslims.

Western sources maintain that Hezbollah receives most of its financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from [[Iran]] and [[Syria]].<ref name="In the Party of God">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2002/10/14/021014fa_fact4?currentPage=4 |title=In the Party of God: Are terrorists in Lebanon preparing for a larger war? by Jeffrey Goldberg |magazine=The New Yorker |date=14 October 2002 |access-date=3 March 2007}}</ref><ref name="USDbackground2801" /><ref>Levitt, Matthew.  [http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/hezbollah-finances-funding-the-party-of-god "Hezbollah Finances – Funding the Party of God"]. The Washington Institute. February 2005. 1 February 2015.</ref> Iran is said to have given $400 million between 1983 and 1989 through donation. Ostensibly on account of economic problems, Iran temporarily limited funds to humanitarian actions carried on by Hezbollah.<ref name=Engeland33 /> During the late 1980s, when there was [[Economy of Lebanon#Macro-economic trend|three-digit inflation in Lebanon]] due to the collapse of the [[Lebanese pound|Lira]], the British periodical [[Middle East International]] reported that Hezbollah was receiving $3–5 million per month from Iran.<ref>{{cite journal |date=19 December 1987 |title= Middle East International|journal=Middle East International|issue=315 |pages=6–7 |publisher= [[Christopher Mayhew|Lord Mayhew]]; [[Dennis Walters]]}}</ref> According to reports subsequently released, Hezbollah received $400&nbsp;million from Iran.<ref name="irinnews52494">{{cite web|url=http://www.irinnews.org/Report/26242/LEBANON-The-many-hands-and-faces-of-Hezbollah|title=Lebanon: The many hands and faces of Hezbollah|author=UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs|date=29 March 2006|access-date=17 August 2006}}</ref><ref name="WPBestGuerrilla" /><ref name="Haaretz 746631">{{cite web |last2=Stern |first2=Yoav |last1=Harel |first1=Amos |url=http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=746631 |title=Iranian official admits Tehran supplied missiles to Hezbollah |work=[[Haaretz]] |location=Israel |date=4 August 2006 |access-date=21 May 2011 |archive-date=22 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122070304/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=746631 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2009, when the United States [[GAO]] agency accused members of the [[Venezuelan government]] of "not cooperating fully in [[War on drugs|the war on drug trafficking]]" and claimed that "drug corruption had reached the ministerial level in Venezuela", [[Dorit Shavit]], then in charge of Latin America & Caribbean affairs at the [[Israeli foreign ministry]], stated in ''[[El Tiempo (Colombia)|El Tiempo]]'' that the presence of "cells of Hezbollah guerrillas" had increased in recent years in the [[Guajira Peninsula]] and on the [[island of Margarita]]. The foreign ministry of Venezuela rejected these allegations as "absurd".<ref name=hezven>{{cite news |last=Colitt |first=Raymond  |date=July 22, 2009 |title=Venezuela denies U.S. drug report, Hezbollah charges|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/world/venezuela-denies-us-drug-report-hezbollah-charges-idUSTRE56K6M1/ |work=[[Reuters]]|access-date=August 18, 2024}}</ref>

In 2011, Iran earmarked $7 million to Hezbollah's activities in Latin America.<ref name="nyd">{{cite web|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-22/news/30548795_1_iranian-revolutionary-guards-mexican-drug-nuclear-weapons-activities |title=Iran in our own backyard |work=Daily News |access-date=4 February 2015 |author=Soibel, Leah |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108083630/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-12-22/news/30548795_1_iranian-revolutionary-guards-mexican-drug-nuclear-weapons-activities |archive-date=8 January 2012 }}</ref> Hezbollah has relied also on funding from the [[Shi'a Islam in Lebanon|Shi'ite]] Lebanese Diaspora in West Africa, the United States and, most importantly, the [[Triple Frontier]], or tri-border area, along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.<ref>Labaki, Boutros. [https://www.un.org/esa/population/meetings/EGM_Ittmig_Arab/Paper13_Labaki.pdf "The Role of Transnational Communmities in Fostering Development in Countries of Origin."] United Nations. 12 May 2006: 15–16. 31 July 2010.</ref> U.S. law enforcement officials have identified an illegal multimillion-dollar [[Operation Smokescreen|cigarette-smuggling fund raising operation]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23384-2004Jun7.html|title=Cigarette Smuggling Linked to Terrorism|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=8 June 2004}}</ref> and a [[drug smuggling]] operation.<ref>{{cite book|title=Hamas|first=Matthew|last=Levitt|publisher=[[Yale University]] Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-300-12258-9|url=https://archive.org/details/hamaspoliticscha00levi|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/hamaspoliticscha00levi/page/70 70]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Terrorism Financing and State Responses|first=Jeanne|last=Giraldo|publisher=[[Stanford University]] Press|year=2007|isbn=978-0-8047-5565-8|url=https://archive.org/details/terrorismfinanci00haro}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=US Treasury takes action against Hezbollah funders|url=http://www.jpost.com/International/US-Treasury-takes-new-action-against-Hezbollah-funders-310871|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=24 April 2013}}</ref> Nasrallah has repeatedly denied any links between the South American drug trade and Hezbollah, calling such accusations "propaganda" and attempts "to damage the image of Hezbollah".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2008/10/20081025165944942904.html|title=Nasrallah decries 'propaganda'|publisher=Al Jazeera|date=25 October 2008 |access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2011/12/22/184043.html|title=Hezbollah denies drugs and money laundering claims|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=22 December 2011|access-date=29 September 2013}}</ref>

As of 2018, annual Iranian monetary support for Hezbollah was estimated at $700 million by US officials.<ref>[https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/iran-pays-hezbollah-700-million-a-year-us-official-says-1.737347 Iran pays Hezbollah $700 million a year, US official says], The National, 5 June 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5515902,00.html Hezbollah paying the price of Iranian obstinance], YNET, 27 May 2019</ref>