The Axis of Resistance is an informal, Iran-led military coalition and concept that unites a network of state and non-state armed groups across West Asia. It is not a formal institution or treaty, but a strategic alliance committed primarily to countering the influence of the United States and Israel in the region. The network's roots trace back to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the subsequent establishment of the Quds Force to export the revolution and project Iranian power. The term itself was first used in 2002 by the Libyan newspaper Al-Zahf Al-Akhdar in an article titled "Axis of evil or axis of resistance," as a direct retort to U.S. President George W. Bush's "axis of evil" speech.
The mechanism of the Axis is a "forward defense" strategy, where Iran supports its allies through the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Quds Force branch, providing funding, training, and weaponry. This strategy uses armed proxy groups abroad to prevent conflict from reaching Iranian soil and to exploit plausible deniability. Key members include Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Iraq, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and Palestinian groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
The Axis connects to the broader concept of Iran's regional influence and its long-standing opposition to the U.S. and Israel. A significant recent change occurred with the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024, which had been a key state component of the Axis, providing a crucial land bridge between Iran and the Mediterranean. Despite this setback, the network has demonstrated resilience, with members like the Houthis and Iraqi militias intensifying their cooperation and regional actions following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.