What is Iran's 'Axis of Resistance'?
Iran said it launched dozens of attack drones at Israel on Saturday, in an assault that could trigger a major escalation between the regional archenemies.
Iran had vowed to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike on its embassy compound in Damascus, adding to concerns about the potential for further escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has so far played no direct role in the conflict that has spread through the region since the onset of the Gaza war six months ago, while backing groups that have taken part by attacking Israel, U.S. interests, and Red Sea shipping.
Built up over years or decades of Iranian support, the groups describe themselves as the «Axis of Resistance» to Israel and U.S. influence in the Middle East.
The Axis includes not only Hamas, the Palestinian group that ignited the war by attacking Israel on Oct. 7, but also: the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon; the Houthi movement in Yemen; various Shi'ite armed groups in Iraq; and Syria.
A look at Iran's military capabilities as it threatens Israel
LEBANON'S HEZBOLLAH
Hezbollah, meaning «Party of God», was set up by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in 1982 with the aim of fighting Israeli forces that had invaded Lebanon that year. The heavily armed group, also an influential political player, shares Iran's Shi'ite Islamist ideology and is widely regarded as more powerful than the Lebanese state.
Hezbollah has served as a model for other Iranian-backed groups across the region, some of which it has advised or trained. The
