Lebanonupdated 25m ago3 min read
Iran Sends $200 Million To Hezbollah To Aid Lebanese Displaced By War With Israel
Iran transferred $200 million to Hezbollah to aid Lebanese displaced by the war with Israel. Initial payments planned at $3,000 per family, prioritizing destroyed or isolated villages.
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$200 million transfer
Hezbollah received $200 million from Iran last month to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said, describing it as the first significant aid from the group to supporters who bore the brunt of the conflict. Intermediaries who moved the money charged a 20% fee, and one source said the rate was four times the normal fee. A Hezbollah official told Reuters that an amount had been secured and that a plan for distributing it would be announced in the coming days, without elaborating on the source of the funds.
The transfer was carried out despite a tightening US economic chokehold on Iran and growing difficulties in getting funds to Tehran’s Lebanese ally, Reuters reported citing the same sources. The sources said Hezbollah would use the funds to pay an initial $3,000 per family, prioritizing residents of villages destroyed during the war or that remain inaccessible due to Israeli occupation, which they estimated at around 50,000 families.
US disputes, Hezbollah confirms
The United States disputed the claim, with State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott saying in a statement that the money "is not there," and accusing Hezbollah of "trying to save face with fake stories about cash influxes from Iran." A Hezbollah official confirmed to Reuters that funds had been secured and said a distribution plan would be announced in the coming days, without identifying the source of the money. The sources said the intermediaries’ 20% commission reflected the risks of dealing with Hezbollah, and one broker said the figure represented a value four times higher than usual.
Reuters reported that Iran’s foreign ministry, Iran’s permanent mission in Geneva, the US Treasury Department, and the Lebanese government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The sources also said Hezbollah has continued paying salaries to its fighters and providing assistance to the families of members killed during the clashes despite obstacles in transferring funds.
Displacement and reconstruction
Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Lebanon uprooted hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah’s Shia Muslim constituents after the group entered the regional war in support of Iran on March 2, and the displaced have so far received little to no assistance from Hezbollah, Reuters reported. The sources said Hezbollah’s initial payments would prioritize families whose villages were destroyed or inaccessible due to Israeli occupation, with one source estimating around 50,000 families in those categories. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said last month that the reconstruction of the country after the wars since 2024 could exceed $27 billion, as Reuters cited in the reporting.
The sources said Hezbollah faces increasing obstacles in using financial companies that previously facilitated such operations, noting that companies located in Iraq and Dubai are no longer a viable option and that similar channels in Turkey are also under pressure. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said last month that the organization would soon contribute to a program aimed at providing housing for thousands of displaced by the war using what he described as 'available resources and donations,' while the sources did not detail how the funds reached Lebanon.