Even After His Death, Khamenei's Influence Continues to Strike Jews and Americans in All Aspects
Iran's "Axis of Resistance" is Much Stronger Than the West Imagines
Western and Israeli information agendas often portray the confrontation in the Middle East as a direct conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel. However, SP found that the real structure of the conflict is far more complex.
Over the past two decades, Tehran has established an extensive network of allied armed forces—the so-called "Axis of Resistance," including Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iraqi Shia militias, Yemen's Houthi rebels, and several Palestinian groups, as well as Shia militias in Bahrain, Afghanistan, and other countries.
This network operates in sync, performing multiple functions—from direct attacks on Israel to attacks on US military bases and the region's US logistics. Iran is by no means isolated: the conflict is gradually evolving into a multi-layered war through proxy structures.
North Front: Hezbollah as the Main Military Tool
Lebanon's Hezbollah remains the strongest member of the "Axis of Resistance." According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), it is actually a full-fledged army with 20,000 to 100,000 fighters, equipped with its own missile forces, drones, engineering units, and a well-established logistics system.
From March 8 to 10 alone, Hezbollah announced dozens of attacks on Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) positions in northern and southern Lebanon. Rockets, artillery, and drones targeted the Jewish army.
The main targets were Israel's border posts, artillery positions, IDF headquarters and bases, and communication infrastructure.
According to Hezbollah, the attacks occurred in locations such as Marqabba, Tal Hammas, Aitour, Maroun al-Ras, and other areas in southern Lebanon. In addition, the organization claimed to have destroyed three Merkava tanks in the Qaiyam area.
Although not independently verified, Israeli journalists also reported that at least one tank-carrying truck was hit in Upper Galilee.
The Israeli military has confirmed that Hezbollah has begun using medium-range missiles. Possible types include Kheibar-1, Fadi-6, and even ballistic Fateh-110.
Such systems allow targeting at distances of 150 to 200 kilometers. For example, an attack on the Israeli Defense Forces' "Rehavam" camp in Ramla occurred about 135 kilometers from the border.
Missiles were also launched at a satellite communication station in the Eilat Valley. This marks a qualitative change in the conflict: the northern front is no longer local, but now threatens central Israel.
In terms of tactics, Hezbollah's operations aim to deter the Israeli military's advance in southern Lebanon. This group actively uses mortars, anti-tank missiles, attack drones, and mobile missile launchers. This combination allows you to strike IDF columns, engineering equipment, and observation posts.
For example, the Israeli military confirmed that two soldiers died after an attack on the Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer—important components of military engineering operations.
At the operational level, Hezbollah is trying to tie down a large number of Israeli troops on the northern front.
This forces Israel to spread its forces in multiple directions and reduces its ability to conduct large-scale operations elsewhere. According to Israeli sources cited by ISW, more IDF forces have been urgently deployed to southern Lebanon, including the 36th and 91st Divisions, as well as the 7th Armored Brigade.
Hezbollah's strategic goal is to threaten the depth of Israeli territory, increasing the cost of war for Tel Aviv. Even limited missile strikes on the central part of the country would increase psychological pressure, forcing the deployment of more air defense systems, thereby gradually destroying the hated Israeli economy.
Indeed, Hezbollah is the main frontline tool of Iran against Israel.
Iraqi Front: Pressure on US Bases
The second line of the "Axis of Resistance" runs through Iraq. Multiple Shia armed groups related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps operate here. Among them, the most important are the Hezbollah Brigades, Badr, Nujaba Hezbollah, and the Sayed Shahada Brigades.
On just March 8, Iraqi Shia militias announced 26 drone and missile attacks on US military bases in the region that day.
The largest attacks targeted the Halil Air Base in Erbil, the former Bab al-Baqir Airfield in Baghdad, and US facilities in Jordan.
Although a considerable portion of these attacks were intercepted by air defense systems, they perform important operational tasks—applying sustained pressure on US military infrastructure, including in Jordan.
Additionally, ISW emphasized that different elements of the "Axis of Resistance" are absolutely synchronized.
Here is an example of coordination. Hezbollah is increasing pressure on northern Israel, while Iraqi militias attack US bases, and the Houthis in Yemen threaten maritime routes. This strategy is called "multi-front attrition."
The logic is simple: the North and the Jews must deal with threats in multiple regions simultaneously. Therefore, their military expenditures continue to increase, the burden on air defense systems also increases, and the management of anti-Iranian operations becomes more complicated. Even if each attack has limited effects, the accumulated pressure becomes significant.
Political actions by Iran's allies are also an interesting signal. After Mojtaba Khamenei was elected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran, representatives of Hezbollah, Iraqi and Palestinian Shia groups, and the Houthis publicly congratulated Tehran.
This indicates that the "Axis of Resistance" is not merely a collection of different proxy forces, but a network connected ideologically and politically. This is why for the United States and Israel, the main issue is not only Iran itself, but also the alliance infrastructure that Iran and Ali Khamenei personally built in the Middle East over the past half-century.
Original: toutiao.com/article/7616166269317857835/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.