Lebanon

Iran's use of the proxy organizations throughout the Middle East which compose "resistance axis," is one of the central tenets of Iran's national security doctrine and has motivated its regional activity since the Islamic Revolution. A primary goal in constructing the "resistance axis" was to deter Israel from attacking Iran's nuclear facilities and to provide an immediate response in the event of such an attack; Israel's attack on Iran on June 13, 2025, found the "resistance axis" organizations in crisis after nearly two years of combat, during which many leaders and thousands of operatives were eliminated and their military capabilities were severely damaged. Throughout the 12 days of the Israel-Iran War, during which the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities were attacked and dozens of commanders and nuclear scientists were eliminated, the proxy organizations took virtually no offensive action against Israel and the United States. Instead, they issued statements of support for Iran and condemnation of Israeli and American attacks, while threatening they would intervene in the fighting if circumstances changed; Iran's leadership has yet to respond to the proxy organizations' lack of action during the war, but senior figures in Tehran have stated that the Islamic Republic remains committed to supporting the "resistance axis" until the "struggle against Israel" has been completed; From the perspective of the "resistance axis," the elimination of Mohammad Saeed Izadi (Hajj Ramadan), the head of the Palestine branch of the Revolutionary Guards' Qods Force, was critical. He was the key figure in Iran's ties with the Palestinian terrorist organizations and with Hezbollah, and played a role in preparing for the October 7, 2023 attack and massacre; The results of the Israel-Iran War will have an impact on the proxy organizations in the immediate future. The United States, Qatar, and Egypt have increased efforts to advance a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip and the release of the hostages, exerting greater pressure on Hamas; Hezbollah is struggling to rebuild its military-terrorist capabilities, has been forced to halt payments to homeowners affected by the fighting with Israel, and is facing increasing pressure to disarm; the issue of dismantling the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq has resurfaced; and the Houthis, who remain the only active "support arena," are attempting to raise their status within the "resistance axis," including by improving their military-terrorist capabilities with Iranian assistance; In ITIC assessment, Iran will now be forced to invest significant resources to rebuild the military capabilities damaged in the Israeli attacks and in stabilizing its military and security apparatus after the elimination of dozens of commanders. Despite the declarations of continued support for the "resistance axis," Iran will struggle to provide the scale of support for its proxies which existed before October 7, 2023. In all probability the elimination of Izadi will have a substantial impact on the continued financial and military support received by the proxy organizations because of his many years of experience. The proxies will also try to adapt to new, unprecedented concessions regarding their military capabilities. Read more...