Iran is a significant player in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict, according to US and Israeli authorities. The Islamic regime is purportedly financing and utilizing a network of armed extremist groups to extend its power and influence throughout the region.
These factions, referred to as the “Axis of Resistance” by Tehran, have carried out attacks on military and civilian targets in the US, Israel, and their allies over the past few months.
Iran’s support for these extremist groups dates back to the Islamic Revolution of 1979, when the Shiite theocratic regime took power in Tehran and began supporting various “revolutionary” Islamic movements globally.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard, known as the Quds Force, facilitates Iran’s engagement with its extremist network. According to the Rewards for Justice website, this military wing serves to further Iranian foreign policy objectives, provide cover for intelligence operations and foster instability in the Middle East.
The Homeland Security Today website suggests that Iran’s main goal in the current conflict is to deter Western forces operating in the Middle East by leveraging this extremist network. The Islamic regime reportedly provides weapons, ammunition, training, intelligence, logistics, and financial resources to these groups operating in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Gaza.
It is estimated that Iran spends around US$700 million annually supporting the “Axis of Resistance” groups. These funds may primarily come from the country’s oil and gas revenues, which account for about 60% of Iran’s budget. To circumvent international sanctions, Iran purportedly employs clandestine smuggling networks, money laundering, and shell companies.
Since the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, there has been an increase in incursions by Iran-backed extremist groups against US and allied military bases and installations in the Middle East.
The escalation of these attacks is evident in the air raids on American bases in Iraq and Syria, as well as drone and missile attacks on Western vessels in the Red Sea, primarily executed by Yemen’s Houthi militia.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group, is currently Iran’s main representative within this network of extremist groups. The group has a strong political and military presence in Lebanon and frequently engages with Israel on the border between the two countries.
Hezbollah emerged in the 1980s during the Lebanese Civil War and has received training, weapons, funding, and ideological guidance from Iran for years. This support has transformed Hezbollah into one of Israel’s main adversaries in the Middle East.
Hezbollah has been accused of committing several acts of terrorism against Israel and the United States. The group has also been active in other Middle Eastern countries, particularly Syria, where it has supported Bashar al-Assad’s regime in the ongoing civil war.
An article on the The Conversation website suggests that the relationship between Tehran and Hezbollah has deepened over the years, evolving into a robust strategic alliance. The close ties between Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s leader, Ali Khamenei, further strengthen this alliance.
The American government also accuses Hezbollah of assisting Iran in recruiting and training other Shiite militias operating in Iraq, which have recently launched several Iranian drone attacks against American bases in the Middle East.
The Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center (GTTAC) Incident Database reports that the militias forming the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have executed more than 100 attacks on American and Western targets since October 2023.
In addition to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Iraqi militias, Tehran is accused by Israeli and Western authorities of financially supporting Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the two terrorist groups operating in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis, a Yemeni militia designated as a terrorist group by the US, is another member of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance” that has been launching attacks on Western forces. The American government alleges that the Yemeni organization receives funding, weapons, training, and assistance from the Islamic regime.
The attacks on Western ships by the Houthis have prompted US and UK forces to initiate an air offensive against militia targets within Yemen. These intermittent attacks are seen as a potential risk for escalating the ongoing conflict in the region.
In addition to providing weapons and training, Iran also supplies information to the Houthis. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Iran collects data about vessels traversing the Red Sea and passes it on to the Yemeni militia to plan and execute their attacks.
Ray Takeyh, an Iranian expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, states that “Houthi ties with Iran were strengthened during the civil war in Yemen, with a subsequent increase in military support and coordination of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. In Iraq, a number of Shia militia groups appear to have considerable operational links to Iran. It is unreasonable to assume that these groups are launching all these attacks without Iran’s prior knowledge.”
Although Tehran often tries to distance itself from attacks carried out by extremist groups within its network, analysts suggest that the country is employing a strategy of “indirect combat” with Western forces.
Hussein Ibish, a Middle East specialist and member of The Arab Gulf States Institute, told National Public Radio (NPR) that Iran uses the militias that form its “Axis of Resistance” to engage indirectly in various conflicts with Western forces operating in the region.
“Acting through proxies is a method of evading responsibility, and Iran successfully employed this tactic in the midst of the war between Israel and Hamas,” notes an article from the Council on Foreign Relations.
