As I approached Nabatiyeh, one of southern Lebanon’s larger towns, Hezbollah flags began to outnumber Lebanese flags. Banners with the faces of Hezbollah members killed fighting in Syria fluttered from lampposts. It was two years ago, at the height of the U.S. maximum pressure campaign. I sat down for coffee with a number of locals, including men who spent time in Israeli prisons for terror offenses. Nothing prepared me for the anger. Not at Israel or the United States, but at Hezbollah and its patron, Iran.

The war in Syria took a devastating toll on the group; thousands of young men died fighting on behalf of Iran in a war that had nothing to do with Lebanon. Many others had joined Hezbollah seeking high pay and a better life, but, as sanctions took their toll, Hezbollah had stopped paying salaries in dollars, leaving fighters and families impoverished after years of sacrifice. In Nabatiyeh, former Hezbollah loyalists estimated 90% of its rank-and-file prioritized money over ideology. The group was hemorrhaging members.