The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah has positioned itself as the most influential extremist group on the Internet in recent years and operates more than 20 websites in seven different languages across the globe, according to an Israeli intelligence organization.
Hezbollah’s efforts are directly funded by Iran and its expanding reach is a sign the group’s global influence is swelling as other terror fronts like al Qaeda see their influence wane, according to a recent report issued by the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, an Israeli research organization that investigates terrorists.
"For Hezbollah, its cyberspace presence is of great importance and is considered by both Hezbollah and Iran as an important weapon in the battle for hearts and minds," the report stated.
Iran’s involvement in Hezbollah’s migration to the Internet is evidence the regime is continuing its efforts to exert control over anti-American and anti-Israeli terrorist groups across the world, the report continues.
The majority of Hezbollah’s websites "receive technical support from Internet companies in the United States, Europe (Britain, France), and Lebanon," the Meir center learned.
"The propaganda and information strategy of Hezbollah's websites is uniform and both serves the organization and promotes Iran's ideology and political agenda," the report states. "In our assessment, media strategy is formulated by Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah leadership, based on overall Iranian strategy. Hezbollah's media policy is coordinated with Iran, whose policies and considerations are well known to senior Hezbollah figures."
Hezbollah and Iran use the media network to disseminate "internal information" as well as for "indoctrination" purposes, according to the report.
The terror group runs several different types of websites, including some aimed at the young, while others disseminate anti-Semitic and anti-Israel propaganda.
"In our assessment, Iran supports the development and maintenance of Hezbollah's Internet presence and media empire, which exceed, both in extent and capabilities, Hezbollah's needs in Lebanon per se," the report states. "In addition, Iran itself operates two Farsi websites devoted to Hezbollah."
Hezbollah uses Lebanese front groups to ensure activities are not be traced back to the terror group in order to get these sites on American and European Internet networks.
"In our assessment, using front men and Lebanese Internet intermediaries, like frequently changing ISPs, has three objectives: The first is to blur, insofar as is possible, Hezbollah's ties to the websites and prevent the ISPs from connecting it to them," the report states.
"The second is to make it difficult for the authorities in the United States and other Western countries to shut the sites down (the United States is especially problematic for Hezbollah, where Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization and where in the past law enforcement authorities used measures against Hezbollah media)," it continues. "The third is to prevent cyber attacks."
Additionally, Hezbollah owns television and radio station.
"Today, Hezbollah's vast media network includes a satellite television channel (Al-Manar TV), a radio station (Radio Nur), the press (Al-Ahad/Al-Intiqad), and network of websites," the report states. "Hezbollah also uses the social networks, YouTube and various Lebanese media which it does not own but which are affiliated with it, to publicize its positions and policies (for example, the newspaper Al-Akhbar and the Al-Mayadeen TV channel)."
Hezbollah’s Internet sites "appear in seven languages, the most important of which is Arabic, the language of the Lebanese and Arab target audiences," the report found.
"Until recently, they appeared in Arabic, English, French, Farsi, and Hebrew," as well as in "Azeri and Spanish," according to the Meir center.
The addition of Azeri and Spanish is a sign Hezbollah and Iran are attempting to indoctrinate vulnerable populations in Latin America.
"Through Hezbollah's Internet network, Azeri and Spanish-speaking populations are exposed to anti-West, anti-Israeli and pro-terrorism incitement, with Iranian orientation," the report concludes.