Episode 83: From ideology to narcotics, Hezbollah's business model, with Matt Levitt

The fall 2024 Israeli operations that decimated Hezbollah’s missile arsenal and leadership structure marked a pivotal turning point for the Middle East. To understand the wreckage left behind and the organization's resilient global web that is already hard at work helping it to recover, I am joined by Matthew Levitt, one of the world’s leading experts on counterterrorism. Levitt pulls back the curtain on Hezbollah’s "Golden Rule"—the less you know, the better—and explains how a group traditionally viewed through the lens of regional militancy has transformed into a sophisticated, multi-continental criminal syndicate.

The conversation dives deep into the surprising reality of Hezbollah’s diversified portfolio, including illicit operations in Latin America and Africa. As financial support from Iran has fluctuated, Levitt details how the group has used ethical justifications to lean into organized crime to sustain its activities. We explore the implications of these global networks for regional stability the precarious future of Lebanon.

This episode was sponsored by Robert Hockett, a Rhodes scholar and professor of law and finance at Cornell University who wishes to support this podcast and this community, which, in his words, "demonstrate every day that literal truth and justice in the Middle East can be pursued and articulated both thoughtfully and civilly — without humoring or coddling, but instead gently rebuffing, both dark age bloodlust and present day blood libel.”

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Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.