How Iran rebuilt Hezbollah and planned coordinated missile attacks years in advance
Iran helped rebuild Hezbollah after heavy losses, sending IRGC advisers to retrain fighters and reorganize its command ahead of a coordinated missile operation on March 11, Reuters reports
Iranian military planners and Hezbollah operatives have developed closer operational coordination in recent months, allowing the execution of simultaneous missile attacks launched from both Iran and Lebanon for the first time on March 11, according to a Reuters report citing sources familiar with the matter.
The coordinated strike is a significant shift in how the two allies previously conducted cross-border operations, moving from parallel but separate actions to synchronized attacks intended to increase pressure on Israeli defenses.
The March 11 operation involved timing missile launches from both territories to occur in unison, creating a more complex interception challenge for Israel.
These synchronized missile launches come after months of planning between Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) officers and Hezbollah commanders.
The coordination effort was part of a broader strategy to improve joint operational effectiveness and restore deterrence following sustained Israeli military strikes against Hezbollah infrastructure.
Iran is said to have played a central role in refining the concept, leveraging its missile capabilities alongside Hezbollah’s Lebanon-based arsenal to create a multi-front threat structure. The approach reportedly required tighter communication channels and revised operational planning between the two forces.
The sources told Reuters that the increased coordination developed as Hezbollah underwent major restructuring following heavy battlefield losses and Israeli intelligence breaches.
They said about 100 IRGC advisers were sent to Lebanon after the November 2024 ceasefire to help retrain fighters and reorganize Hezbollah into smaller, more secure units designed to reduce the risk of infiltration.