Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon have significantly weakened Hezbollah, potentially setting the Iran-backed terror group back two decades, according to US officials speaking to CNN.

“They’ve probably been taken 20 years backwards,” an unnamed US official told CNN, reflecting on the impact of Israel’s recent attacks on Hezbollah’s infrastructure.

Despite the damage dealt to Hezbollah, US officials are urging Israel not to escalate the situation further. While some Hebrew-language media outlets reported that Israeli defense officials estimated 50% of Hezbollah’s rocket capabilities were destroyed in the recent strikes, military sources told The Times of Israel that those figures are likely exaggerated.

The IDF reported that it targeted approximately 1,600 Hezbollah sites in Lebanon yesterday, focusing on homes where the terror group stored munitions. These included cruise missiles, short-range heavy rockets, medium-range rockets, and explosive drones. However, the IDF has not yet confirmed the destruction of Hezbollah’s long-range rockets and precision-guided missiles.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that “tens of thousands of rockets were destroyed” in the airstrikes, with military sources adding that the strikes have hindered Hezbollah’s ability to carry out even larger attacks on Israel.

Before the conflict began in October last year, official IDF assessments estimated that Hezbollah had over 200,000 rockets, mortars, and missiles. This included 400 long-range rockets, hundreds of precision-guided missiles, 4,800 medium-range rockets, and 65,000 short-range rockets. Hezbollah also reportedly possessed hundreds of explosive drones, anti-ship missiles, and anti-aircraft systems.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)