Hezbollah - the Iranian terror proxy that could now ignite chaos in the Middle ... trends now

It is known as Israel's 'monster to the north' - a fearsome Iranian-backed military foe that claims to have 100,000 active fighters armed to the teeth with a terrifying array of weapons.

Hezbollah, or the 'Party of God' in Arabic, has emerged as a potent force in the Middle East in recent years boasting a multifaceted arsenal and diverse military capabilities that pose a considerable threat to Israel. 

Now there are growing fears the terror proxy could ignite further chaos in the region by wading into a war that has already seen around 1,400 Israelis killed in the October 7 massacre and - according to Hamas officials - thousands of deaths in aerial bombardments in Gaza.

Ever since Hamas unleashed its horrifying slaughter of innocents in Israeli towns and cities, the Israeli Defence Forces have been fighting a battle on two fronts.

The IDF is conducting a non-stop bombardment of Hamas and has sent troops in to surround Gaza City, all while fending off rocket attacks from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the north.

Today, the Lebanese political and military group's leader Hassan Nasrallah issued further threats in a ranting speech, warning of 'further escalation on the Lebanese front'.

Hezbollah emerged in the early 1980s as a response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and officially announced its existence in 1985 with the release of its first manifesto.

Initially the group was a large but informal conglomeration of Shia Muslims in Lebanon who were spurred on by Iran's Islamic Revolution in the 1970s, which culminated in the overthrow of the Shah and the establishment of the Islamic Republic by Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini. 

Tehran, seeing the potential to turn the rebelling Shia group into a fearsome ally, instructed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to instruct, train and finance them.

The group adopted the name Hezbollah - which translates to 'Party of God' - with the primary goal of resisting Israeli occupation in Southern Lebanon. 

The Iranian connection has remained a defining aspect of Hezbollah's identity, and the nature of the group's multifaceted setup as a political party and armed militia allow it to wield considerable influence. 

Its dual political and military setup echoes that of Hamas, but while both groups are backed by Iran's Islamic Republic, Hezbollah has evolved into a far graver military threat. 

The group has been exchanging fire with Israel across the border intermittently since Hamas' October 7 attacks - the latest escalation since Israel and Hezbollah fought a major war in 2006. 

Hezbollah has been reluctant to commit any meaningful numbers of troops and rockets to fight Israel, but the group's involvement has increased in recent days, with the proxy noting that it attacked 19 Israeli positions along the border simultaneously on Thursday, which included its first using explosive drones. 

The group has declared it is ready to help when the time comes in the war between Israel and Hamas - and there are fears that Hezbollah joining the ground invasion would force the IDF to split their resources and fight a battle on two fronts at opposite ends of the country. 

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, 63, told the United States today that the terror proxy was ready to face its warships and the way to prevent a regional war was to halt the attacks in Gaza.

Nasrallah, in his first speech since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, also threatened Israel's main ally the United States, hinting his Iran-backed group was ready to confront U.S. warships in the Mediterranean.

He said: 'You, the Americans, know very well that if war breaks out in the region, your fleets will be of no use, nor will fighting from the air be of any benefit, and the one who will pay the price will be... your interests, your soldiers and your fleets.'

Referring to U.S. warships in the Mediterranean, he said Hezbollah was not afraid of these.

In a wide-ranging speech, Nasrallah said 'all options' were open for an expansion of the Israel-Hamas conflict into Lebanon. 

He warned of a further escalation on Israel's border with Lebanon and said Hamas's war with the Jewish state is 'now on more than one front'. 

Indeed, Hezbollah has an impressive arsenal at its disposal should it join the bloody war, now in its 28th day. 

In addition to the array of small arms, machine guns and tens if not hundreds of thousands of rockets at its disposal, Hezbollah boasts a range of anti-tank and anti-air systems, a fleet of thousands of drones, and dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles.

Like Hamas, Hezbollah also has an extensive tunnel network along the Lebanese-Israeli border which serves as a strategic asset for clandestine movement, storage, and surprise attacks.

In 2021, the group claimed to have 100,000 active fighters - though Israel's Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) says the number is half that. INSS says the group's arsenal counts 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and missiles, including 'hundreds' of precision rockets.

The overwhelming majority of Hezbollah's military hardware is Soviet or Iranian made, and the group has either purchased or received donations of weapons and munitions from their Iranian backers, the government of Syria's Bashar al-Assad, and China.  

The Palestinian outfit has tens of thousands of soldiers and extensive rocket stockpiles but no air defence capabilities and almost no heavy armour. By contrast, Hezbollah's military wing is extremely well-equipped.

INSS says the group's arsenal counts 150,000 to 200,000 rockets and missiles, including 'hundreds' of precision rockets.

The overwhelming majority of Hezbollah's military hardware is Soviet or Iranian made, and the group has either purchased or received donations of weapons and munitions from their Iranian backers, or from the government of Syria's Bashar al-Assad. 

Both Iran and Syria have proved to be key sources of financial and material support, viewing Hezbollah as a strategic ally and an instrument of influence in the region.

A cornerstone of Hezbollah's infantry, the AK-47, or Kalashnikov, is a legendary assault rifle developed by Mikhail Kalashnikov in the Soviet Union and has since been produced worldwide.

One of the key strengths of the AK-47 is its exceptional reliability. It can function effectively in harsh conditions, including mud, sand, and extreme temperatures.

Its 7.62x39mm caliber offers sufficient stopping power, and its rugged design suits guerrilla warfare scenarios. 

The rifle is capable of both semi-automatic and fully automatic fire, and numerous variants and adaptations of the AK-47 exist - many of which Hezbollah also has access to. 

These include the more modern AK-74, which is chambered for 5.45x39mm ammunition, and the AKM - another upgrade of the AK-47 introduced in the 50s.

Complementing its range of Kalashnikov rifles, Hezbollah's small arms inventory also boasts a variety of US-made M16 and M4 rifles, whose accuracy and modular design enhance their effectiveness in urban and rural combat situations.

Hezbollah's stockpile of M16s and M4s is considerably smaller than that of its Kalashnikovs because most of the rifles were captured from various foes including the IDF, US-armed Syrian rebels, or the Islamic State.

Hezbollah also has an extensive selection of sniper rifles and light machine guns, chief among which are the Dragunov and the PK LMG. 

In terms of explosive munitions, Hezbollah employs the RPG-7, a portable rocket launcher favoured around the world by various militias, including Hamas. 

It is often used to attack light armoured vehicles but can also be deployed

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