Hezbollah involvement in the Syrian civil war has been substantial since the beginning of armed insurgency phase of the Syrian civil war in 2011, and evolved into active support for Syrian government forces and troop deployment from 2012 onwards. By 2014, Hezbollah was deployed across Syria. Hezbollah has also been very active in preventing Al-Nusra Front and Islamic State penetration into Lebanon, being one of the most active forces in the Syrian civil war spillover in Lebanon. Hezbollah's involvement in Syria came to an end with the fall of the Assad regime as a result of a renewed rebel offensive in late 2024, leading to clashes between Hezbollah and the new Syrian transitional government.
In the past, Hezbollah has served a strategic arm of Iran in the region, playing a key role in the Iran–Israel and Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflicts. On a number of occasions, Hezbollah weapon convoys in Syria and Syrian-Lebanese border areas were attacked, presumably by the Israeli military. Hezbollah convoys and militant camps have also been attacked by various Syrian rebel factions.
Hezbollah's image in the Arab world – especially in Syria and Lebanon – has been greatly tarnished due to its sectarian activities throughout the course of the Syrian civil war. Major religious leaders and activists, Sunni and Shia alike, have condemned Hezbollah, with many former supporters of Hezbollah becoming its fervent opponents for its stance in Syria. Shi'i cleric Subhi al-Tufayli, the group's founder and principal architect during 1980s, fiercely denounced Hezbollah for abandoning its founding principles and accused it of serving the hegemonic ambitions of Iran and Russia.
Timeline of Hezbollah deployment in Syria
2011–2012 Hezbollah had long been an ally of the Ba'athist government of Syria, ruled by the Assad family. Hezbollah helped the Ba'athist regime during the Syrian civil war in its fight against the Syrian opposition, which Hezbollah described as a "plot to destroy its alliance with al-Assad against Israel". Geneive Abdo opined that Hezbollah's support for al-Assad in the Syrian war had "transformed" it from a group with "support among the Sunni for defeating Israel in a battle in 2006" into a "strictly Shia paramilitary force".
In August 2012, the United States sanctioned Hezbollah for its alleged role in the war. General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah denied Hezbollah had been fighting on behalf of the Syrian government, stating on 12 October 2012 that "right from the start the Syrian opposition has been telling the media that Hezbollah sent 3,000 fighters to Syria, which we have denied".Drone flight over Israel: Nasrallah's latest surprise , arabamericannews.com, October 12, 2012] However, according to the Lebanese Daily Star newspaper, Nasrallah said in the same speech that Hezbollah fighters helped the Syrian government "retain control of some 23 strategically located villages [in Syria] inhabited by Shiites of Lebanese citizenship". Nasrallah said that Hezbollah fighters died in Syria doing their "jihadist duties".
In 2013, Hezbollah fighters crossed the border from Lebanon and took over eight villages in the Al-Qusayr District of Syria. On 16–17 February 2013, Syrian opposition groups claimed that Hezbollah, backed by the Syrian military, attacked three neighboring Sunni villages controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA). An FSA spokesman said, "Hezbollah's invasion is the first of its kind in terms of organisation, planning and coordination with the Syrian regime's air force". Hezbollah said three Lebanese Shiites, "acting in self-defense", were killed in the clashes with the FSA."Hezbollah condemned for 'attack on Syrian villages'" . BBC News, February 18, 2013. Retrieved February 18, 2013. Lebanese security sources said that the three were Hezbollah members. In response, the FSA allegedly attacked two Hezbollah positions on 21 February; one in Syria and one in Lebanon. Five days later, it said it destroyed a convoy carrying Hezbollah fighters and Syrian officers to Lebanon, killing all the passengers."Syrian rebels claim successful attack on Hezbollah" . The Times of Israel, February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
The leaders of the March 14 alliance and other prominent Lebanese figures called on Hezbollah to end its involvement in Syria and said it is putting Lebanon at risk."March 14, PSP slam Hezbollah activities in Syria" . The Daily Star, February 19, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013. Subhi al-Tufayli, Hezbollah's former leader, said "Hezbollah should not be defending the criminal regime that kills its own people and that has never fired a shot in defense of the Palestinians". He said "those Hezbollah fighters who are killing children and terrorizing people and destroying houses in Syria will go to hell"."Hezbollah fighters dying in Syria will go to hell, Tufaili" . Ya Libnan, February 26, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013. The Consultative Gathering, a group of Shia and Sunni leaders in Baalbek-Hermel, also called on Hezbollah not to "interfere" in Syria. They said, "Opening a front against the Syrian people and dragging Lebanon to war with the Syrian people is very dangerous and will have a negative impact on the relations between the two". Walid Jumblatt, leader of the Progressive Socialist Party, also called on Hezbollah to end its involvement and claimed that "Hezbollah is fighting inside Syria with orders from Iran"."Rival Lebanese groups fighting in Syria: Jumblatt" . The Daily Star, February 24, 2013. Retrieved February 26, 2013. According to the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, support for Hezbollah among the Syrian public has weakened since the involvement of Hezbollah and Iran in propping up the Assad regime during the civil war.Eshman, Rob. "Syrian wake-up." Jewish Journal. May 8, 2013. May 8, 2013.
According to the U.S., the National Defence Forces (NDF), an Assad loyalist pro-government paramilitary militia and auxiliary force, was created in late 2012 and was maintained by Hezbollah and the Qods Force, the elite special forces branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both of whom supplied the NDF with money, weapons, training and advice.
2013 On 4 April 2013, Hezbollah with the Syrian army launched an offensive to retake part of Qusayr. Syrian Army forces with the help of Hezbollah and the National Defense Forces captured Qusayr extinguishing final rebel resistance after two months of fighting.
On 25 May 2013, Nasrallah announced that Hezbollah is fighting in the Syrian Civil War against Islamic extremists and "pledged that his group will not allow Syrian militants to control areas that border Lebanon". He confirmed that Hezbollah was fighting in the strategic Syrian town of Al-Qusayr on the same side as Assad's forces. In the televised address, he said, "If Syria falls in the hands of America, Israel and the takfiris, the people of our region will go into a dark period." Syrian opposition's National Revolutionary Coation withdrew from the Geneva talks scheduled to be held on June; in denouncement of "Hezbollah and Iran's militia's invasion of Syria".
On 26 May 2013, two rockets hit a Hezbollah area of Beirut injuring five people whilst another two rockets caused property damage to buildings in the al-Hermel district of Beirut. Syrian rebels have been blamed for the attack as they had promised to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon in retaliation for their helping the Syrian army particularly in the border town of Al-Qusayr. Syrian rebels have also shelled al-Hermel previously.
On 28 May 2013, Free Syrian Army General Salim Idris gave Hezbollah "24 hours to withdraw from Syria" or he may order FSA units to attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
In early June 2013, Hezbollah committed some 2,000 fighters to the battle in Aleppo, reportedly putting strain on the organisation. Hezbollah changed the rotation policy for its fighters from 7 days fighting followed by 7 days leave, to 20 days fighting followed by 7 days leave. In June 2013, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi officially demanded the enforcement of a no-fly zone in Syria and condemned Hezbollah by saying, "We stand against Hezbollah in its aggression against the Syrian people. Hezbollah must leave Syria – these are serious words. There is no space or place for Hezbollah in Syria."
2014 In 2014, Hezbollah's involvement was steady and staunch in support of the Syrian government forces across Syria.
2015 In January 2015, Free Syrian Army groups and al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front launched an offensive against Hezbollah strongholds in the Jayrud area in the western Qalamoun Mountains, near the Lebanese border. Media sources affiliated with the Syrian opposition report that the joint forces targeted a series of military checkpoints held by Hezbollah in the area surrounding the village of Flaita in Kalamoon. Heavy losses were reported in the ranks of the Syrian security forces and militants of Hezbollah, as the FSA rebels seized a number of heavy and light weapons as well as boxes of ammunition during the operation. At least three FSA fighters were killed. A military official of al-Nusra reported that the ISIS presence in the area has exceeded 700 men, amid fears of escalating violence between both groups.Syrian rebels report gains against Hezbollah in Kalamoon . January 3, 2015. Ara News. Retrieved 2015-01-22.
Israelí media claimed that given that Hezbollah's military involvement faced battles are with Muslims, Hezbollah had emphasized its readiness to wage war against Israel.Mitch Ginsburg, Hezbollah focuses PR on Israel, to deflect from its killing of Muslims in Syria , Times of Israel, 24 May 2015
In May 2015, Hezbollah forces launches a new offensive in the Qalamoun region in Rif DImashq Governorate, supported by the Syrian Army with the aim of clearing al-Nusra Front and other Syrian opposition forces entrenched in the mountains of the Qalamoun region.
2016 Hezbollah began its participation in the Siege of Deir ez-Zor in 2016.
In May, Hezbollah's top military commander in Syria, Mustafa Badreddine, was killed in murky circumstances near the Damascus International Airport.
2017 Hezbollah participated in the East Aleppo offensive (January–April 2017) and in the Battle of al-Bab against ISIL in February 2017.
Hezbollah played a significant role in the Daraa offensive (February–June 2017), with several casualties.Gregory Waters The Battle for Manshiyah: A Victory in 100 Pictures , Bellingcat September 11, 2017 In April, rebels reported that an SAA lieutenant Colonel was executed by the Lebanese Hezbollah militia over charges of 'treason' in al-Manshiya.
In the March 2017 Israel–Syria incident, Israel took responsibility for an airstrike in Syria on a military site near Palmyra that they said was targeting Hezbollah. The Syrian Arab Army reportedly launched S-200 missiles at the Israeli jets, and Israel intercepted one S-200 missile with an Arrow 2 missile.