Islamist terror group Hezbollah may use established links in Latin America to mount a terror attack on US soil if President Donald Trump ​launches or aids with air strikes on Iran, experts warned last night. It comes as tension increases over Iran's nuclear programme following another meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump to discuss military action against the Islamic regime's nuclear facilities.

The Iran-backed Shi'a terror organisation has been neutralised in its native Lebanon, and attempts by Tehran to resupply it with aid and arms have been thwarted by loss of access to Syria. To make up for this, Hezbollah has been redoubling its nefarious activities in Latin America, where it works with drug trafficking cartels and uses arms trafficking, human trafficking, illegal mining, identity theft, and money-laundering schemes to raise much-needed revenue for its Middle East operations.

Such is its reach that it now operates in 12 of the 20 mainland Latin American countries where five - Argentina, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay - have labelled it a terrorist organisation.

Though it is particularly active in the “uncontrollable zone of criminality” between Paraguay, Brazil, and Argentina, it is Venezuela where the terror group is best established aided by both the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro and Russia.

Hezbollah was formed in 1982 after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, and although its primary targets have been Israeli, it has also targeted US assets in the Middle East and Asia.

In the US, around 128 people have been arrested for Hezbollah-linked offences. Of those, most were caused by providing ​financial support, while 19 were charged with riding operational support.

In 2023, a New Jersey man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for receiving military-type training from Hezbollah.

Alexei Saab had surveilled dozens of Boston, New York and Washington locations for a possible attack.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated, “FBI arrests in recent years also indicate that Hezbollah has tried to seed operatives, establish infrastructure, and engage in spying here domestically— raising our concern that they may be contingency planning for future operations in the United States.”

Last night regional expert Kyle Orton said: “Latin America has mainly been a base for vital fundraising for operations in Lebanon, and Hezbollah has worked with the Lebanese diaspora and any criminal group available.

“One preferred way of getting material things like cars to Lebanon is by sending them from Latin America to West Africa, the easiest land route to Lebanon. But the US remains a firm target.”

He added: “They are still seeking revenge for the killing of IRGC Quds commander Qasem Soleimani,​and there ​is no doubt that an attack carried out or even aided by the US on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be an ‘all bets are off’ situation in terms of Hezbollah activity on US soil.”

President Trump warned on March 30 that ‘there will be a bombing’ if Iran does not agree to a new nuclear deal. A two-month window for direct negotiations is closing.

Last week the US’ Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to advance a bill that would impose visa bans on government officials and financial actors in Latin American countries deemed “terrorist sanctuaries” for Hezbollah.

The unspoken target of this bill is Venezuela, where Hezbollah is supported at an institutional level by Nicolas Maduro's socialist Government.

Sen. Jacky Rosen, one of the Bill's sponsors, said Hezbollah remained "a threat to US national security and cannot be tolerated.”