Israeli airstrikes have severely damaged Hezbollah’s leadership and internal security, dealing a significant blow to Iran’s strategy of using proxies to exert power in the Middle East, according to former U.S. intelligence officials. In weeks, Israel sabotaged Hezbollah’s communications, eliminated senior figures, and killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The strikes destroyed weapons depots and inflicted unprecedented physical and psychological damage. Iran’s plan to weaken Israel and the U.S. through armed proxies underestimated Israel’s response to recent attacks and overestimated the strength of its proxy network.