Iran views the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah as an opportunity to rebuild its Lebanese proxy, which has suffered significant setbacks during the recent conflict, sources close to the group told The Washington Post.

While Iranian officials have publicly hailed the truce as a victory for Hezbollah, diplomats revealed that Tehran quietly pushed for the cessation of hostilities—an acknowledgment of the substantial damage inflicted by Israel on a key component of Iran’s regional strategy.

The ceasefire allows Iran to reassess Hezbollah’s capabilities, rebuild its infrastructure, and restore its deterrence power, according to sources familiar with the situation.

One source close to Hezbollah noted that the group was disappointed by the limited support it received from Iran’s other regional proxies during Israel’s intense military campaign.

“Lebanon was at its most vulnerable during heavy bombings, yet support from other members of the resistance axis, including Yemen and Iraq, was minimal at best,” the source said.

The source criticized Iran for not rallying its other allies to divert Israel’s attention and alleviate pressure on Hezbollah, as he also revealed that Iranian financial assistance for reconstruction and military retraining would come with tighter oversight from Tehran.

“Iran is prepared to allocate funds for reconstruction and to ensure Hezbollah’s survival, as well as to maintain support within the Shiite community,” the source said. “However, this support is now more directly under Iranian influence,” he added, noting that Iranian advisers are expected to supervise funding and retrain Hezbollah’s ranks.

The recent conflict included a series of Israeli airstrikes in October targeting Iran’s air defense systems and missile production facilities. Western and regional diplomats, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the information, said the strikes dealt a significant blow to Tehran, prompting Iranian leaders to pursue a ceasefire.

“We now know that those attacks were quite severe,” a Western diplomat said of the strikes, citing a damage assessment conducted by their government. “They were feeling the heat,” the diplomat added, referring to Iranian leadership.