TABLET MAG
Hezbollah Isn’t Broke. So Why Is Everyone Claiming Otherwise?
by Tony Badran
May 31, 2019

“Terrorist groups like Hezbollah are withering on the vine as Iran sanctions take effect,” Sen. Tom Cotton tweeted last week, voicing what has now become a consensus in Washington. In this age of polarization, the unanimity of this take is all the more remarkable, as it is shared by the Trump administration, Middle Eastern analysts, as well as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and even the Israeli government. But this conventional wisdom is wrong. Hezbollah is nowhere close to being broke. READ MORE

FDD Sanctions Drive Iranian Oil Exports to Historic Lows Iranian exports of crude oil and condensate plunged rapidly in May to a historic low of less than 500,000 barrels per day and possibly as low as 250,000 barrels. This rapid decrease points to both the surprising effectiveness of U.S. sanctions and the likelihood of increased financial hardship for Tehran in the coming months.