Hezbollah's Naval Capabilities: A Strategic Overview from the July 2006 War to Present

A report by Lara al-Hachem, English adaptation by Nadine Sassine


During the July 2006 war, Hezbollah destroyed a warship off the Lebanese coast. That moment marked a turning point in the development of Hezbollah's naval capabilities, which began testing in 1987.

Over the years, Hezbollah has developed this capability, which was expressed by Hezbollah's Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, since 2010 when he said that all military, civilian, and commercial ships are within the range of the resistance's missiles if Israel launches a war on Lebanon.

According to insiders, Hezbollah is building its naval capabilities based on the threat posed by the Israeli naval forces. Israel possesses various generations and types of warships and submarines that carry out offensive and combat operations.

Nasrallah speaks of surprises, but the development of his naval capabilities was revealed by Israeli media and the Alma Center for Israeli research. According to the Israeli newspaper Calcalist, Israeli officials confirm that the party possesses hundreds of anti-ship missiles with a range of up to 300 km and capable of carrying explosives weighing 300 kg. In addition, it has naval commando forces with small, fast boats that gather information, and unmanned submarines.

Hezbollah usually does not confirm or deny such information, while political researcher Wasim Bazi told LBCI that the party's naval capabilities allow it to close all Israeli ports on the Mediterranean and reach the Red Sea.
Thus, between Israel and Hezbollah, there is a war in which naval capabilities are balanced in terms of disruption, destruction, and imposing blockades. The decisive factor remains in intelligence work, the element of surprise, and Israel's technological capabilities.