WASHINGTON, D.C. (NewsNation) — One of Iran’s most valuable assets in its arsenal is a multipronged network of proxy groups across the Middle East known as the “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of militias tied together by the shared objective to oppose Israel and counter perceived threats from the United States, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Sara Harmouch, a defense policy researcher and counterterrorism expert, told NewsNation that Iran’s support of these proxy militias has proven integral to Tehran’s domination. It allows the country to project its power beyond its borders while maintaining plausible deniability.
The current conflicts in the Middle East involving Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis demonstrate the behind-the-scenes control that Iran exerts in the region.
How did the Axis begin?
Following the Islamic Revolution in 1979 that toppled the Persian monarchy, the Axis was born out of the Iranian regime’s quest to disseminate its ideological influence in the Middle East.
Shortly after, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) was formed to defend the Islamic Republic of Iran and protect the Shia clerical establishment. An IRGC branch, the Quds Force, has expertise in combat training and leading local militias abroad.
“It is part of an aggressive defensive position, adopted by a country that despite all of its bravado always feels threatened from every direction and is potentially worried about the survival of the regime,” Daniel Brumberg, director of democracy and governance studies at Georgetown University, said in an interview with NewsNation.
Which groups are in Iran’s Axis of Resistance?
It comprises groups like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the Assad regime in Syria and various Shiite Militias in Iraq, among others, all labeled as terrorist groups by the United States.
Yet even though these groups share some ideological connections, they do not all share the same religious beliefs. For example, Hezbollah is Shia Muslim, while Hamas is Sunni Muslim. Moreover, these groups still operate as nationalist organizations in their home countries, pursuing their own domestic interests.
Their collaboration is ultimately driven by their resistance to Western influence.
How much money does Iran give these groups?
These proxies would not be as potent without the money and weapons they receive from Iran. Between 2012 and 2020, the State Department estimates that Iran spent more than $16 billion supporting its allies and proxies.
“[Iran] tries to compensate for its lack of military strength by mobilizing proxy groups, providing them with resources, coordination, and military, political and financial support,” Harmouch said. “It also opens multiple fronts for the U.S. and its allies, forcing them to divide and extend their resources, which distracts the U.S. across multiple fronts rather than just one.”
What is the threat of a wider war?
Hamas waged the deadliest terrorist attacks in Israel’s history on Oct. 7 and vowed to repeat it “again and again” until Israel is destroyed. In solidarity with Hamas, Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel, while the Houthis have attacked shipping in the Red Sea, disrupting the global supply chain.
A watershed moment occurred in April when Israel struck an Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing two senior commanders and five officers.
Iran — with its Axis of Resistance — subsequently launched a retaliatory drone and missile assault against Israel, sparking the first-ever direct strikes launched from Iranian territory onto Israeli soil.
The U.S. military helped Israel fend off more than 99% of the Iranian barrage.
“U.S. commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters shortly after successfully defending the assault.
However, experts maintain that Iran’s end goal is not an all-out war.
“Iran has a formula, which is no war and no peace,” said Brumberg. “That is directed specifically at Israel, but also other potential opponents or enemies in the region, and that is to make life as difficult as possible for Israel, the United States, some of its regional allies without at the same time provoking an all-out war.”