Can Hezbollah survive without money?

As the United States imposed new sanctions on Iran, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the goal was to eliminate all economic support "until Tehran stands alone." This decision would also affect Iran-backed organizations throughout the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon. The sanctions come on top of Hezbollah's recent war with Israel, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, and the ongoing fallout from the US-Iran conflict.

Prior to the war, Iran provided financial support to Hezbollah, which amounted to approximately $700 million annually, according to the US State Department. However, with the designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist group under Iranian control as part of Washington's economic pressure campaign, the consequences could be severe for some southern Lebanese communities that rely on the group for their livelihoods and reconstruction assistance following the devastating conflict.

In a recent episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher spoke with Randa Slim, the director of the Middle East program at the Stimson Centre, to explore whether Hezbollah can survive without its Iranian funding and the implications this may have for Lebanon as a whole.