In the wake of U.S. strikes that severely impaired its nuclear program in June, Iran is reportedly making efforts to rearm its Middle Eastern militias.
As reported by CNN, Tehran continues to supply arms to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and various militias in Iraq and Syria. This comes despite the Islamic Republic grappling with the aftermath of a 12-day war with Israel and the U.S., which left its nuclear infrastructure and military in a state of disarray.
According to CNN, Iran's proxies remain a significant extension of its influence over the region, frequently provoking Israeli and U.S. forces. Despite the severe damage Iran has sustained from the war, it continues to support these groups. Michael Knights, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute, told CNN, Iran was never going to stop resupplying their groups. They might not be able to send this much or regularly more stuff might get intercepted but if youre the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards Quds Force right now, what youre trying to show is we still exist, were intact, nothing has changed.
On Wednesday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that exiled Yemeni government loyalists intercepted a vessel carrying 750 tons of missiles and equipment bound for Yemen. Iran, however, denied sending the shipment, dismissing it as a deceitful attempt to incriminate the regime.
The Houthi rebels, who have regularly launched attacks against Israel, have also threatened international shipping through the Red Sea, prompting a U.S. bombing campaign in March. In response to the strikes, the Israeli Air Force hit Houthi targets on Monday.
In Iraq, suspected Iranian-backed groups have escalated their attacks on Western entities and personnel. Aziz Ahmad, a Kurdish Regional Government official, reported on Wednesday that these groups had recently targeted five oil fields with drone strikes, two of which are owned by U.S. companies, as reported by CNN.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah's support from Iran has dwindled following the fall of the former Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria in December 2024 and Israels killing of the militant groups leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in 2024. Hezbollah, a key ally to Hamas in its post-Oct. 7 war with Israel, regularly engages with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in border skirmishes.
Hamas, however, has experienced relative silence from their Iranian allies following Tehrans brief war with Israel. The new Syrian government, which was once a crucial conduit for Tehrans weapons transfers to allied terrorist groups, has seized Iranian shipments of arms to Hezbollah over the past year, according to CNN.
Iran agreed to meet with France, Germany, and the U.K. in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday to discuss Tehrans nuclear program. The European nations have threatened Iran with renewed sanctions if there is no progress in talks regarding its nuclear ambitions.
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