From the Middle East to Sudan: Where is Iran and its allies active?
So far, the United States and Iran have avoided direct confrontation. The United States has targeted Iran-backed groups in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, while groups affiliated with Iran have targeted American individuals in Iraq and Syria. Tehran has also struck what it says are anti-Iranian groups in Iraq, Syria, and Pakistan, with Pakistan responding with retaliatory strikes.
So where is Iran and its proxies active?
Under Soleimani’s supervision, Iran has established a network of allied armed factions in several Arab countries, and the influence of these factions has grown over the years following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, escalating since then. Iran denies closely directing the attacks carried out by its proxies, stating that they act independently, and expresses broad support for their anti-Israel and anti-US movements.
Iran arms and trains groups operating in the following regions:
Gaza Strip:
Iran supports Hamas and the Islamic Jihad Movement. Hamas, which governs the Palestinian territory, initiated an attack on Israel on October 7th, sparking the current conflict in the Middle East.
Iraq:
Armed and well-trained groups loyal to Tehran dominate, closely linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. They are connected to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a quasi-military force of 150,000 members operating under the state umbrella. The Popular Mobilization Forces have launched missile attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, prompting retaliatory airstrikes from Washington, resulting in the death of a leader in Baghdad.
Syria:
Syria serves as a crucial route for Iranian-aligned factions between Iraq and Lebanon. Since the outbreak of the Syrian war in 2011, Tehran intervened by sending advisers from the Revolutionary Guard and fighters from Iraq, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Lebanon:
Hezbollah is the most loyal armed ally of Tehran. Formed in the 1980s to fight Israeli forces in Lebanon, Hezbollah possesses an arsenal of tens of thousands of missiles and well-trained fighters. Hezbollah conducts daily attacks on Israeli forces along the Lebanese-Israeli border.
Yemen:
The Houthi group, aligned with Iran, has controlled significant areas of Yemen since 2014.
Sudan:
Enhancing cooperation with the military by sending unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), making General al-Burhan a tool of Iran in Sudan. Port Sudan has transformed into an Iranian operational base in the region.
