Iran’s Battered Regional Proxies Still a Menace in US Fight (1)

Jan. 15, 2026, 3:57 PM UTC

Iran has spent decades funding and nurturing a web of proxy militias across the Middle East for exactly this type of moment: The Islamic Republic is besieged by a popular domestic uprising and threatened externally by arch enemies Israel and the US.

Yet, so far, support from the country’s so-called Axis of Resistance has not been forthcoming.

The network of armed groups, which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Palestinian group Hamas and the Yemen-based Houthis, has been severely weakened by Israel’s military response to the October 2023 Hamas attacks and the toppling of Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad, an Iranian ally. ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Government or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Providing news, analysis, data and opportunity insights.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.