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• The 1979 Iranian Revolution marked a significant turning point in West Asia, leading to the establishment of a theocratic republic under Ayatollah Khomeini.
• Following the revolution, Iran became adversarial towards the S. and Israel, both of which had previously supported the Shah, Iran’s last monarch.
• The Islamic Republic’s anti-imperialist ideology positioned it against Sunni Arab states and prompted Iraq to invade Iran shortly after the revolution.
• Faced with isolation and lacking conventional military capabilities, Iran adopted a strategy of “forward defence,” building a network of non-state militias across the region, which became known as the Axis of Resistance.

Hezbollah

• One of the most significant components of this Axis is Hezbollah, which was formed in the early 1980s with the assistance of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
• Initially focused on resisting foreign military presence, Hezbollah declared itself in 1985, with the goal of fighting Israeli occupation. By 2000, when Israel withdrew from Lebanon, Hezbollah claimed a historic victory.
• Under the leadership of Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in 2024, the group transformed into a powerful entity within Lebanon, with over 40,000 trained fighters and a significant arsenal of rockets and missiles, solidifying its position as Iran’s main military ally on Israel’s borders.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad

• The Islamic Republic also established ties with Palestinian groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. After its formation during the first intifada in 1987, Hamas distanced itself from the secular Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) after the latter recognized Israel through the Oslo Accords.
• This led Iran to cultivate closer relationships with these Islamist factions, viewing them as allies against Israel.
• While Hamas receives limited material support from Iran, it enjoys substantial political backing, particularly following its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which was met with immediate support from Tehran.

Ansar Allah (Houthis)

• The Houthis, or Ansar Allah, emerged in Yemen much later, inspired by the Iranian Revolution and Hezbollah’s success.
• Initially a Zaydi revivalist movement, the Houthis gained prominence after capturing Sana’a in 2015 amid the chaos following the Arab Spring.
• They have since declared war on Israel and targeted commercial vessels in the Red Sea, especially in response to Israel’s actions against Gaza.

Hashad al-Shabi

• In Iraq, the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 allowed Iran to expand its influence by supporting various Shia militias that formed the Popular Mobilisation Forces, known as Hashad al-Shabi.
• This coalition includes groups like Kata’ib Hizballah and Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq, which received direct support from Iran during the fight against the Islamic State.
• The late Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force, was instrumental in coordinating these militias until his assassination in 2020. Despite this setback, these groups remain influential in Iraq and Syria.

Conclusion

• In recent developments, the conflict in West Asia has escalated dramatically. Following Hamas’s attack on Israel, Hezbollah and the Houthis also engaged in attacks against Israel, while Hashad forces targeted U.S. bases in the region.
• The U.S. and its allies have retaliated with airstrikes, and Israel has intensified its military operations against Hezbollah.
• This tit-for-tat escalation has created a broader regional conflict, pitting Iran and its Axis of Resistance against Israel and its allies, with both sides escalating their military postures.