Iran’s allies in the Middle East: who are the like-minded forces and their main enemies?
The Resistance Axis acting against Israel’s operations is primarily made up of Tehran, Damascus, and Hezbollah, along with various Palestinian military groups.
Iranian authorities have managed to build a strong core of military alliances throughout the Middle East in recent years.
This so-called “Axis of Resistance” mainly includes Tehran, Damascus, the Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah, and several armed Palestinian groups. These diplomatic and military ties became possible, in part, after the death of Saddam Hussein in 2003, which allowed Iran to gain a stronger foothold in the region and to establish a direct connection to Lebanon via Syria.
However, despite Iran’s heavy influence across these areas, each actor operates based on its own nationalistic interests.
Iran’s most powerful ally: Hezbollah
Hezbollah (meaning “The Party of God”) was founded in 1982, following Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.The group, currently led by Naim Qassem after the assassination of its previous leader Nasrallah, is classified as a terrorist organization by the European Union.
It is considered Iran’s closest ally, as the Lebanese Shiite group has carried out numerous attacks on Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 8.
The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas)
Hamas is another key player and the most capable group in terms of carrying out attacks on Israel, as demonstrated by the October 7 attacks, which left 1,200 dead and around 240 hostages.The Islamist militia was created in 1987 by Ahmed Yassin and Abdulaziz al-Rantisi, stemming from a charitable organization linked to the Muslim Brotherhood, with the mission to oppose Israel, a state it does not recognize.
Over time, Hamas gained greater influence across Palestinian territories, fueled by frustration over stalled peace efforts and Israeli territorial expansion into the West Bank and Jerusalem. In 2006, Hamas won the elections, taking control of the Gaza Strip, and eventually launched its unprecedented assault on the Israeli state, triggering the ongoing conflict.
The Houthis in Yemen
Iran also supports the Houthi rebels, who took control in 2014 after seizing Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, as well as parts of the north and west of the country amid war and massacre.
The Houthis have resisted international coalition offensives and in recent months have carried out various attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman. Their main goal is to destroy any vessel belonging to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. since the large-scale bombings of Yemen began.
Armed militias in Syria and Iraq
Likewise, Iran backs various Shiite groups in Iraq, which played key roles in the fight against the U.S. invasion. These Islamist jihadist groups have launched dozens of attacks against Israel and have also destroyed American facilities in Iraq and Syria since the start of the Gaza conflict.
Iran also supports Syria, home to two main armed factions: Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zainebiyoun, both connected to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and active thanks to Iranian funding and military aid.Syria has been a close ally of Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, forming a third major front in the war alongside Hezbollah and Tehran.
Iran’s #1 Enemy: Israel
Israel continues its expansionist agenda and won’t stop until it succeeds.This ambition helped ignite the Israel stands as Iran’s primary enemy, as both are the most resourceful nations involved in the conflict — both economically and militarily.
The United States also emerges as an adversary, due to its firm support of Israel and its mission to eliminate any terrorist organizations that threaten global stability — as seen in the June 22 airstrikes on military facilities.
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