How the Axis of Resistance is shaping the Middle East

As Israel continues its full-scale assaults on Gaza and Lebanon, the multi-front war, now stretching over a year, saw a significant escalation on October 1, 2024, when Iran launched a major missile strike against Israeli military sites.

According to Tehran, this was a retaliation for Israel’s targeted killings of key Iranian, Lebanese, and Palestinian leaders, including Hamas political head Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah.

This marked Iran’s second direct offensive against Israel during what is being dubbed a “six-front war” by pro-Israel commentators, a reflection of how various conflicts in the Middle East are converging into a larger regional confrontation.

Since the conflict began on October 7, 2023, Israel has been engaged on multiple fronts, from Gaza and the West Bank to Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran. Hezbollah’s calculated military build-up against Israel started as early as October 8, which was soon followed by attacks from Yemen, Iran, and Iraq, all rallying under the cause of “unity of fields.”

This latest missile barrage from Iran represents the most significant operation to date. Abu Obaida, the spokesman for Hamas’s Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, referred to it as the unification of the ummah’s resistance in the skies over Palestine.

The broad-based mobilization of these various fronts in defense of Palestinian resistance has been anticipated for years, culminating in the long-standing cooperation between the actors that form the so-called Axis of Resistance. This group includes Iran, Syria, Hamas, Islamic Jihad in Palestine, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Ansar Allah in Yemen, and various Iraqi factions.

Western officials often dismiss this alliance as a mere “terror network” without historical context, framing it as a destabilizing force in the region.

Following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah on September 28, U.S. President Joe Biden praised Israel’s airstrike in southern Beirut, calling it an attack against “Iranian-backed terrorist groups” and their so-called reign of terror.

Israeli officials have likened the Axis of Resistance to an octopus, with Iran as the head and its tentacles reaching into Yemen, Lebanon, and Palestine. This dehumanization goes hand-in-hand with the broader Western strategy of denying the legitimate resistance of these groups, often labeling them as proxies or tentacles of a malign regional power.

Mainstream media typically ignore the historical and ideological roots of the Axis of Resistance, which extend back well before the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Palestine has long served as the ideological heart of this alliance, which has grown out of the transnational exchange of ideas, people, and military expertise.

Iranian Revolution’s Impact

The 1978-79 Iranian Revolution, heavily influenced by the Palestinian cause, provided a global framework for the resistance. From the early days of Ayatollah Khomeini’s revolt against the Shah of Iran, the issue of Zionist colonization of Palestine was central to the struggle.

By 1968, Khomeini had already issued a religious decree supporting Palestinian guerrilla fighters, allowing Shia Muslims to donate their zakat (alms) to the cause. Throughout the 1970s, Fatah, then the dominant faction in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), became a key ally of Iranian revolutionaries, offering training and support to anti-Shah movements.

The Rise of the Axis of Resistance

The Axis of Resistance began to take shape in the wake of several pivotal events: the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iraq’s invasion of Iran in 1980, and Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982. Initially a defensive alliance between Iran and Syria, formed out of shared geopolitical concerns, it has evolved into a formidable force in the region.

Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed movement, emerged from this cooperation and played a crucial role in forcing Israel to withdraw from most of Lebanon by 1985. In 2000, Hezbollah’s success in driving Israeli forces out of southern Lebanon further solidified its status as a legitimate resistance force.

Palestinian Armed Resistance

The Palestinian resistance movements, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, have drawn much inspiration and support from Hezbollah’s successes. Following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, these groups have increasingly enhanced their military capabilities, with substantial support from Iran and Syria. Their growing missile and drone capabilities were on full display during the 2021 Sword of Jerusalem battle, showcasing their ability to target Israeli cities like Tel Aviv.

Enduring Tensions

Despite its significant achievements, the Axis of Resistance has not been without internal tensions. Disagreements between Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas have surfaced over the years, particularly during the Syrian civil war when Hamas distanced itself from Assad’s regime. However, mediation efforts by figures like Qassem Soleimani and Hassan Nasrallah have helped to bridge these divides, ultimately keeping the Axis intact.

Even with the assassination of key figures like Hassan Nasrallah, the Axis remains a formidable force that has managed to survive various attempts to dismantle it.