Unit 3800 is a specialized unit within

Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...

, established in 2003 at the request of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

Quds Force The Quds Force () is one of five branches of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It specializes in unconventional warfare and military intelligence operations. U.S. Army's Iraq War General Stanley McChrystal describes the Quds Fo ...

, with the primary mission of supporting Iraqi Shiite militant groups, particularly during and after the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

invasion of Iraq An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives ...

. The unit is in charge of training and assisting Shiite militias in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

and

Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...

. Operating under Hezbollah's

Jihad Council The Jihad Council of Hezbollah is a council responsible for directing the groups' military and security activities. It also exercises considerable influence over the organization's various civilian branches and maintains ties with external partner ...

, Unit 3800 has playes a pivotal role in expanding Iran's influence through proxy warfare across the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

Origins and objectives

Following the U.S. invation to Iraq in 2003, Hezbollah as Iran's proxy formed Unit 3800 and sent elite Hezbollah operatives to Iraq to train local fighters. The unit's primary mission was to train and equip Iraqi Shiite militias, such as the

Mahdi Army The Mahdi Army () was an Iraqi Shia militia created by Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003 and disbanded in 2008. The Mahdi Army rose to international prominence on April 4, 2004, when it spearheaded the first major armed confrontation against the ...

, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Hezbollah, enhancing their capabilities in guerrilla warfare, kidnappings, and the use of sophisticated improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Some Iraqi militants also received advanced training in

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

. The unit then oversaw operations executed against U.S. and

coalition forces The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...

and provided funds, weapons, and logistical assistance to groups like the

Badr Organization The Badr Organization ( ''Munaẓẓama Badr''), previously known as the Badr Brigades or Badr Corps, is an Iraqi Shia Islamist and Khomeinist political party and paramilitary organization headed by Hadi al-Amiri. The Badr Brigade, formed in ...

Saraya al-Khorasani Saraya al-Khorasani ( "The Vanguard Companies of al-Khorasani"), also known as the 18th Brigade of the Popular Mobilization Forces, is a Shia Islamist militia formed in 2013 and engaged in the Second Iraqi Civil War and Syrian Civil War. Foun ...

, and the al-Mahdi Army.

Expansion to Yemen

Following the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, Unit 3800 extended its operations to Yemen, providing training and support to the

Houthi The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Zaydi Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaydi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely ...

movement. The unit's involvement included the transfer of advanced weaponry and the establishment of training programs to inhance the Houthis' military capabilities.

Leadership

Unit 3800 has been led by senior Hezbollah figures with extensive experience in regional operations. Notably, Khalil Yusif Harb, a veteran operative with a history of coordinating Hezbollah's activities in the Middle East, has been identified as a key leader of the unit. He was appointed in 2012 to lead Unit 3800, further strengthening its capabilities and operational ties with Iranian and other regional militant groups.

Notable personnel

Khalil Yusif Harb

Khalil Yusif Harb, also known as Abu Mustafa and Sayyid Ahmad, is a senior

commander who played leadership roles in Units 1800 and

Unit 133 Unit 133 is a secret unit within Hezbollah with an aim to oversee the group's foreign operations and execute terror attacks in Israel, in the West Bank, in Egypt and Jordan. History According to sources Unit 133 was created in the late 1990s, ...

, later becoming a close advisor to

Hassan Nasrallah Hassan Nasrallah (, ; 31 August 196027 September 2024) was a Lebanese cleric and politician who served as the third secretary-general of Hezbollah, a Shia Islamist political party and militia, from 1992 until his assassination in 2024. Bor ...

, the group's former Secretary-General. He has played a critical role in Hezbollah's military and operational activities across the

, particularly in

, the

Palestinian territories The occupied Palestinian territories, also referred to as the Palestinian territories, consist of the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip—two regions of the former Mandate for Palestine, British Mandate for Palestine ...

, and other regional areas. Harb has been designated as a

Specially Designated Global Terrorist A Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) is a person or entity that has been designated as such by the United States Department of State or the U.S. Department of the Treasury. An SDGT designation is made under authority of U.S. Executive ...

by the U.S. Treasury Department since August 2013 due to his involvement in terrorism and smuggling operations. Recent reports say he currently serves as Hezbollah's

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

Ali Musa Daqduq

Ali Musa Daqduq was a senior Hezbollah operative who played a pivotal role in expanding the group's influence beyond Lebanon, particularly in Iraq and Syria. Daqduq joined Hezbollah in 1983 and quickly ascended through its ranks. He commanded a special operations unit known as Department 2800 and was responsible for the personal security of Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. He led Unit 3800 for several years and was captured by U.S. forces in 2007 in

Basra Basra () is a port city in Iraq, southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the List of largest cities of Iraq, third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq bor ...

, Iraq, for his alleged involvement in a January 2007 attack in

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

that resulted in the deaths of five American soldiers. An Iraqi court released him and in 2019 he was reportedly leading the "

Golan File Golan (; ) is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical city of Golan at Sahm el-Jaulān, a Syrian village eas ...

," a Hezbollah unit operating in southern Syria near the Israeli border. In late 2024, Daqduq was appointed deputy commander of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force. On November 10, 2024, he was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Syria.

Haytham Ali Tabatabai

Haytham Ali Tabatabai also known as Abu Ali Tabatabai, is a senior Hezbollah military commander with a significant role in the organization's external operations. He has been notably involved in Hezbollah's activities in Syria and Yemen, where he commanded special forces units supporting the Assad regime and the Houthi movement, respectively. He served in Unit 3800 and was deployed to Yemen to support the Houthis before returning to a senior role in Hezbollah’s Radwan Unit. For his involvement in these conflicts, the U.S. Department of State designated him as a

in 2016 and has offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.

Impact and significance

Unit 3800 has significantly contributed to Hezbollah's transformation into a transnational actor capable of projecting power beyond Lebanon. By training and equipping allied militias, the unit has enabled Iran to maintain a network of proxy forces that serve its strategic interests across the region.

References

{{Reflist Hezbollah Hezbollah members Quds Force Houthis Axis of Resistance Individuals designated as terrorists by the United States government Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States