Axis of Resistance
Iran's Regional Strategy and Its Collapse
The "Axis of Resistance" (Mehwar al-Muqawama) is the term used for the network of state and non-state actors aligned with Iran against Israel and US influence in the Middle East. It includes Hezbollah (Lebanon), Hamas (Gaza), Houthi/Ansar Allah (Yemen), Kataib Hezbollah and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, and Syrian government forces and Shia militias. This network was Iran's primary instrument of deterrence and power projection.
- Hezbollah (Lebanon): Iran's most sophisticated proxy; estimated 100,000+ rockets pre-2024; destroyed to significant extent by Israel's 2024 Lebanon operations and post-October 7 campaigns; Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed by Israel in September 2024
- Hamas (Gaza): politically weakened by Israel's post-October 7 military operations; most of Hamas's leadership killed (Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Tehran in July 2024; Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza in October 2024)
- Houthi/Ansar Allah (Yemen): disrupted global shipping in Red Sea (2023-24); degraded by US-UK strikes; capacity reduced but not eliminated
- Iraq PMF: Iraqi Shia militias allied with Iran; conducted attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria
- The systematic destruction of the Axis of Resistance's leadership and capabilities between 2024-2025 significantly weakened Iran's deterrence architecture before the February 2026 direct strikes
● Tracked since February 28, 2026 · last seen April 11, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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