CSS Current Affairs | Iran’s Broader Regional Strategy in the Middle East
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Outline
1-Introduction
2-What are proxies and the significance of proxies
3-A cursory glance at Iranian proxies in the Middle East
4-Iranian proxies’ role in the Middle East
- ✓Anti-Israel resistance in the Middle East
- Case in point: About the attack of 7th October, in March 2024, a United Nations report found evidence that it was the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.
- ✓Countering U.S presence in the Middle East
- Case in Point: Between 1995 and 2022, five administrations – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden – have been sanctioned.
- ✓Expanding the regional influence of Iran
- Case in point: By 2020, Hezbollah had become the world’s most greatly armed non-state actor
- ✓Securing Shia Crescent
- Case in point: The Houthis in Yemen, Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
5-Long-term implications of Iranian support for proxies in the Middle East in peace processes
- ✓Entrenchment of sectarianism
- Case in point: Saudi-Iran revelry
- ✓Destabilization of neighbouring countries
- Case in point: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on Monday launched ballistic missiles at Iraq and Pakistan
- ✓Undermining the international law
- Case in point: The UN Fact-Finding Mission has said that Iran is violating human rights by the bombardment of civilian centres.
- ✓Increased tension with Israel and the U.S
- Case in point: Their slogan, the scream, is: “God is Great; Death to America; Death to Israel; Damnation to the Jews; Victory to Islam.”
6-Critical analysis
7-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
In the past, there was a division of the globe between developed countries and underdeveloped countries. But now, the demarcation of the world is based on silicon curtains; on the one side, there are digitally developed countries, and on the other hand, there are digitally weak countries. Moreover, the world is moving into digital warfare, the biggest example of this is the recent “Pager attack” of Israel on Hezbollah one of the proxies of Iran. Iran has different proxies in the Middle East, and Iranian proxies play different roles in the Middle East, like anti-Israel resistance, countering U.S. presence, expanding the regional influence of Iran, and securing Shia Crescent. Furthermore, there are also many long-term implications of Iranian support for proxies in the Middle East in peace processes like entrenchment of sectarianism, destabilization of neighbouring countries, undermining of international law, and increased tension with Israel and the U.S. Thus, this question will answer the Iranian proxies’ roles and implications in the Middle East.
What are proxies and the significance of proxies?
Before diving deep into the problem, it is essential to shed light on the word proxies and its significance. Proxy means a person, state, country, or non-state actor that works for someone else. i.e. Pakistan was a proxy of the U.S. in the Cold War and the War on Terror. In proxies, one or more states support the country or non-state actor to compete with the other state. Moreover, the states help their proxies through military support, training, and economic assistance like the U.S. had helped Pakistan in the War on Terror through Military and financial aid. So, in proxy and proxy war one party helps the third party to achieve its motives.
A cursory glance at Iranian proxies in the Middle East
Moving down the ladder, After the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Iran built up a network of groups around its territory to boost its regional influence and hegemony and wage a war against Western powers. Council on Foreign Relations said, “Acting through proxies is a method of avoiding responsibility”. Iranian proxies in the Middle East are Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and many more. Moreover, Iran is providing them with training, weaponry, and funds to promote Iranian regional objectives and hegemony. So, Iran, through its proxies, wanted to control the Middle East and wanted to undermine the West and Israel.
Iranian proxies’ role in the Middle East
Moreover, several roles of Iranian proxies in the Middle East are discussed below.
- Anti-Israel resistance in the Middle East
Moving toward the different roles of Iranian proxies in the Middle East, anti-Israel resistance in the Middle East is one of the roles of Iranian proxies. Israel is a Jewish state that works under the U.S. and wants to create its hegemony in the Middle East. Israel wants to control Palestine and use deadly tricks to rule over them. Moreover, the United Nations report found evidence about the attack of 7th October in March 2024 that some were victims of sexual violence before they were killed, and adding to the trauma was the fact that it was the most lethal day for Jews since the Holocaust. Thus, this is an attack by the Iranian proxy Hamas. This is the attack of Hamas for anti-resistance in the Middle East.
- Countering U.S. Presence in the Middle East
Furthermore, Iran is the counterforce of the U.S. in the Middle East, and Iranian proxies try to counter the U.S. presence in the Middle East through different means. In 1979, the Iranian revolution was a revolution against the U.S. presence. Moreover, between 1995 and 2022, five administrations – Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden – have sanctioned 11 Iranian proxy groups in five countries, and they also sanctioned 89 leaders from 13 groups supported by Tehran in the Middle East. Thus, Iranian proxies play a role in countering the U.S. in the Middle East.
- Expanding the regional influence of Iran
Similarly, Iranian proxies in the Middle East play a role in expanding the regional influence of Iran. These proxies—extending from Lebanon as Hezbollah, in Yemen the Houthis, to Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria—serve as proxies of Iranian power, often acting to undermine rivals or support allies. Iran, without direct engagement in warfare, controlled the region from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean. Iranian proxies play an important role in undermining the role of Saudia Arabia and the U.S. in the Middle East. Moreover, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “Hezbollah had become the world’s most greatly armed non-state actor, with at least 130,000 rockets and missiles.” Thus, Iranian proxies expanded the regional influence of Iran.
- Securing the Shia Crescent
Last but not least, the Iranian proxies in the Middle East play a role in securing the Shia crescent through different efforts. Tehran and its proxies support the Shia militia and political parties to counterbalance the Sunni-Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the Houthis in Yemen, Shia Muslims in Iraq and Syria, and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian proxies help the Shia-backed groups and political leaders in Syria and Iraq to create its hegemony. Thus, Iran, through its proxies in the Middle East, tries to secure the Shia crescent and wants to establish its hold all over the region.
Long-term implications of Iranian support for proxies in the Middle East in the peace processes
Moving ahead, there are some implications of Iranian support for proxies in the Middle East in the peace processes of the region.
- Entrenchment of sectarianism
Moving further, the implications of Iranian proxies in the peace process of the region is an entrenchment of sectarianism. Iran fosters an environment of sectarianism in the region which supports the Sunni-Shia divide in the region. Moreover, the best example of this is Saudi-Iran revelry which entrenchment sectarianism in the region. This revelry is supported by the proxies in the Middle East that muddling cease-fire efforts between communities and fueling cycles of revengeful violence. Thus, sectarianism in the Middle East is a hurdle in the way of the peace process.
- Destabilization of neighboring countries
Likewise, the destabilization of neighboring countries is the implication of Iranian support of proxies in the Middle East in the peace processes. The non-state actors supported by Tehran became the cause of the destabilization of neighbouring countries. Moreover, Ballistic missiles were fired on Monday by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards on “anti-Iran terror groups” and what they claimed to be a spy camp for Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency in northern Iraq. Iran launched attacks in the Balochistan area of Pakistan, leaving two children dead and several more injured. Thus, these attacks by Iran became the cause of the destabilization of neighbouring countries.
- Undermining the international law
Similarly, the implications of Iranian proxies in the peace process of the region are undermining international law. Tehran’s support of non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis is undermining the international law of peacekeeping. Moreover, the UN Fact-Finding Mission has said that Iran is violating human rights by bombardment of civilian hubs. Tehran and its proxies attack the neighbouring local centres. Thus, the implications of Iranian proxies in the peace process of the region are undermining international law.
- Increased tension between Israel and Iran
Last but not least, Iranian support of proxies in the Middle East became the cause of long-term implications in the peace processes and increased tension between Israel and Iran. The tension between Iran and Israel has increased after the attack of Hamas on Israel. Moreover, their slogan, the scream, is: “God is Great; Death to America; Death to Israel; Damnation to the Jews; Victory to Islam.” Thus, Iranian support of proxies in the Middle East became the cause of long-term implications in the peace processes and increased tension between Israel and Iran.
Critical analysis
Critically, Tehran’s proxies in the Middle East play different roles in securing their interests and establishing the hegemony of Iran in the region. After the 7th October attack of Hamas on Israel, the situation between Iran and Israel, and peace in the area has erupted—moreover, Israel’s efforts to undermine Iran and its proxies through different technological means and killing their leaders. Israel recently killed the Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh through a device that was planted in the guest room and the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah through an air strike. Israel targeted the leaders of Tehran’s proxies to create hegemony in the region. Israel uses different technologies to target Iranian proxies through pagers and walkie-talkies, explosions, face detection systems, and tunnel detection technology. Thus, the world has been divided into two parts which are separated by a silicon curtain between digitally advanced countries and digitally weak countries. This war of proxies of Tehran and Israel destroyed the peace of the region and raised the power politics.
Conclusion
To sum up, Iran has several proxies around the Middle East, and these proxies have a variety of functions there, including protecting the Shia Crescent, opposing US influence, and resisting Israeli occupation. Moreover, Iran’s backing for proxies in the Middle East peace process has several long-term repercussions, including the strengthening of sectarianism, the instability of nearby nations, the erosion of international law, and heightened tensions with Israel and the United States.
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