"Hezbollah has vastly expanded and solidified its network, which is already global in nature, boasting an infrastructure that spans Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia. Closer to home in the region, Hezbollah’s partnerships with Iraqi militias and Houthi rebels in Yemen have also become more functional, serving as a force multiplier for the group and helping to extend its tentacles into new fronts," the report said.
The Hezbollah network has gained combat experience fighting in Aleppo, Deraa, Damascus, Latakia and elsewhere throughout Syria, the report read.
In the future, this network could be activated to project Iranian influence and defend Shia interests in an increasingly sectarian Middle East, the release explained.
READ MORE: Woodward Book Claims US Thought Israel was Unable to Defend Against Hezbollah
Hezbollah, founded in the 1980s, is a paramilitary and political organization originating in Lebanon's Shiite population. The group originally aimed to end Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's military wing is currently active in Syria, where it is fighting on behalf of the government of President Bashar Assad.
