Axis of Resistance
Updated: Wikipedia source
The Axis of Resistance is an informal coalition of Iranian-supported militant and political organizations across the Middle East. Formed by Iran, it unites actors committed to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the region. The "Axis" most notably includes the Lebanese Hezbollah, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Yemeni Houthis. It sometimes includes Hamas, and a variety of other Palestinian militant groups. The various actions of members of this axis reflect their domestic interests while serving the broader goal of complicating Israel's attacks and imposing a cost on the United States to support Israel. The United States designates most of these groups as terrorist organizations. Despite this, between 2014 and 2017, militant groups within the axis under the command of Qasem Soleimani co-ordinated with U.S. military forces against the Islamic State (IS) organization during the war in Iraq (2013–2017). The coalition has also conducted attacks on US forces in Iraq. Through its Quds Force, a branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran has provided extensive military and logistical support, with an estimated $700 million spent annually on these groups before sanctions affected its resources in 2019. The conflicts engulfing the Middle East since 2023, beginning with the October 7 attacks, have weakened the Axis of Resistance and the strategy behind it, according to an analysis by the Associated Press. The network has suffered blows in the Gaza war, Israel–Hezbollah conflict and the Iran–Israel war. Additionally, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's fall in 2024 further disrupted the network. Until then, Ba'athist Syria was the only state member of the Axis beside Iran, hosting fighters trained and recruited by Iran. The rest of the Axis remains intact as of December 2024.