Are the Hezbos of local stock?
“Are the Hezbos of local stock?”
Yes. Shi’ite Islam has long been part of the sectarian mix in Lebanon, but they have always been a minority. The Iranian regime recruited from among them, and organized Hezbollah as their proxy force there, from the ground up. There are other Lebanese Shia groups, and even Militias, like the Amal Militia, but with extensive Iranian and Syrian support, Hezbollah cane to dominate all others.
Prominent Shi’ite clerical families have also had very long histories of maintaining personal followings of individuals from among the Shia communities across several countries. Prominent Shia clerical families in Lebanon include the al-Moussawi family (who lead Hezbollah), the al-Sadr family (of Moqtada Sadr in Iraq), and the al-Fadlallah family. Within Shia Islam, there is a distinct personal loyalty to a particular religious authority, that is characteristically handed down within families.
Those existing networks of allegiance were key in Iran gaining a native Lebanese following, by co-opting just a few religious leaders (most of whom are traditionally educated in Qom, Iran) - and pouring huge resources into the effort.