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When Israel launched direct strikes on Iranian soil last week—hitting nuclear facilities, air defense systems, and senior military leadership—it marked a dramatic escalation in a long-brewing confrontation albeit a veiled one, between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
Iran retaliated with missile fire, striking cities across Israel, but fears of a broader regional eruption have not come to pass. Tehran's most loyal partners—Hezbollah in Lebanon, Iraqi militias, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas—have largely stayed out of the battlefield.
The “Axis of Resistance,” as Iran describes this web of allied non-state actors, was built over decades to deter and respond to aggression by Israel or the United States. But as The Wall Street Journal reports, the network has gone largely silent, preoccupied with its own losses, internal fractures, and a growing fear of Israeli airpower and intelligence reach.
Hezbollah: Once the spearhead, now on pause
Hezbollah, long considered Iran’s most powerful ally, has not launched any major retaliation against Israel since the conflict escalated. Israeli strikes over the past year have degraded its arsenal and infrastructure and killed its longtime leader, Hassan Nasrallah.According to WSJ, Arab diplomats with knowledge of the group’s internal deliberations say Hezbollah is focused on regrouping and feels Tehran did little to protect it during its own conflict with Israel in 2024.
The group’s current leadership is said to be prioritising rebuilding capacity over entering a fresh war. Notably, its public appearances have emphasized Lebanese national identity over symbolic alignment with Tehran—suggesting a subtle recalibration.
