These 5 groups added to Iran's military power

For years, Iran has been the outsider.Predominantly Persian-speaking in a region where most people speak Arabic, overwhelmingly Shia where most are Sunni, it has been crippled by Western sanctions meant to make it a pariah.Yet Iran has succeeded in projecting its military power across a large swathe of West Asia. Its reach equals — if not eclipses — that of traditional power centres like Egypt and Saudi Arabia.And now, spurred by the war in the Gaza Strip, armed groups that Iran has fostered over the past 45 years have mobilised simultaneously towards similar goals: diminishing Israeli power and confronting Israel’s closest ally, the US.Iran has tried to capitalise on its outsider position by seeking out disempowered Shia populations and offering to train and arm them, and by working with the sympathetic government of Syria. medium109218371The shadow war between Israel and Iran broke into the open this month, when Israel struck an Iranian Embassy compound in Syria and killed seven Iranian commanders, renewing fears of a broader conflict. Iran has promised to retaliate, but the calculus is tricky: The Iranians want to avoid igniting a full-fledged war that might drag in the US and threaten the survival of Iran’s regime.Altogether, Iran now supports more than 20 groups in West Asia, directly or indirectly, with a combination of arms, training and financial aid. The US has designated them as foreign terrorist organisations, and many of their leaders have been hit by sanctions, as has Iran.While they are often lumped together, and they do in fact share many of Iran’s goals, these groups also have some purely local interests. And, with a few exceptions, Iran does not completely control them.Here is a look at the most prominent of the armed groups backed by Iran. medium109216643HamasA close ally, it gives Iran a direct link to the Palestinian struggle, a cause that resonates across the Arab world. Hamas dominates the Palestinian guerrilla fight against Israel that is based in the Gaza enclave, which their political wing took control of in 2007.Recent actionsOn October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel from Gaza, killing roughly 1,200 people, including women and children, according to Israeli authorities, and taking more than 200 hostages. medium109218497Since its creation in 1987, Hamas has launched numerous strikes on Israel, often working with another Iranian-backed militant group, Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In 2021, the two groups fired 4,000 rockets into Israel over an 11-day period.How they are linked to IranUS officials do not believe that Iran initiated the Hamas attack or that it had even been informed about it in advance.But Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad together receive more than $100mn a year from Tehran in addition to weapons and training, according to a 2020 US state department report. In a 2022 interview, Hamas’ political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, said Hamas received about $70mn a year.Iran has not just provided weapons and training to both Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, it has also taught Hamas to make and assemble its own weapons from local supplies.Although Hamas and other Palestinian groups follow the Sunni branch of Islam and have a different political orientation from Iran, they share antagonism towards Israel and anger over the legacy of Western colonialism. medium109218507Iran’s outreach to Hamas began in Lebanon in the early 1990s after Israel forced hundreds of Palestinians, including Hamas leaders, to go there. In Lebanon, Hamas adherents quickly forged ties with members of another militia, Hezbollah, Shia Muslims whose links to Iran were already well established. Through Hezbollah, Hamas became connected to Iran.At times, however, that relationship has ruptured.During the Arab Spring of 2011, Hamas backed the anti-government forces in Syria while Iran backed President Bashar Assad. And in 2015, Hamas leaned towards supporting Saudi Arabia against the Houthi forces in Yemen favoured by Iran.But since then, there has been a rapprochement both between the Hamas leadership and Assad, and between Hamas and the Houthis.Military capabilitiesFor the most part, Hamas is equipped with comparatively unsophisticated weapons — but quantity makes up for what the group’s arsenal lacks in quality.Before the war, Hamas had thousands of short-range and medium-range rockets capable of travelling at least 200km. From Gaza, some of them can reach as far as the Israeli cities of Eilat and Haifa, as well as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.It also has a large number of Russian-made portable anti-tank missiles, which the group has used against Israeli troops in Gaza in recent months, according to weapon experts. And it has drones that it has used to attack Israeli tanks and communication nodes.Within Gaza, Hamas has the ability to manufacture and assemble at least some of these weapons, using parts from Iran, as well as from China and Russia. It is not clear if those countries supplied them or if they were obtained through Iran and Hezbollah. medium109216643HezbollahThe largest, oldest and best-trained Iranian proxy group in West Asia. Hezbollah, a Shia organisation, has become the predominant political and military power in Lebanon.Recent actionsHezbollah, a longtime antagonist of Israel’s, began turning up the pressure on Israel’s border after the war in Gaza began on October 7, launching strikes across the border. Israel has counterattacked, and many civilians on both sides of the border have been forced to flee their homes. medium109218477The most sustained conflict between Hezbollah and Israel was in 2006. That fight made clear how formidable Hezbollah forces had become, but it took a deep toll on the Lebanese, killing more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians, and displacing more than 900,000.How they are linked to IranHezbollah receives significant financial support from Iran, though the exact amount is hard to ascertain. One US official testifying in 2018 put the amount at $700mn, but offered no evidence for that number. However, Iran’s cash support for Hezbollah has diminished over time, reflecting the impact of long-term sanctions coupled with the more recent intense sanctions ordered by US President Donald Trump and maintained by his successor Joe Biden.Iran has nevertheless been able to maintain its backing for Hezbollah in many other ways. It continues, for example, to provide not just arms but also sophisticated technological know-how so that Hezbollah engineers can manufacture weapons locally. The ability to produce its own weapons has made Hezbollah into one of the best-supplied militias in Westa Asia.Experts on Iranian military strategy say that Iran views Hezbollah forces in Lebanon as its first line of defence should Israel attack Iran. medium109218488Iran’s ties to Hezbollah date to Lebanon’s 15-year civil war, which started in 1975. By 1980, Lebanese Shias, inspired in part by Iran, had begun an armed struggle against the Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon.There were many reasons for Iran to aid the fighters, analysts say, but one big one was that doing so presented an opportunity for it to insert itself back into the political fabric of Arab West Asia. A war with Iraq had left it cut off from much of the region, and especially from Sunni rulers wary of Iranian leaders.Military capabilitiesEstimates by the US military and arms experts put Hezbollah’s arsenal, the largest of the Iranian-linked groups, at about 135,000 to 150,000 rockets and missiles. Others estimate it is larger. With ranges of 320km, they allow the militants to reach targets deep inside Israel.Among the weapons, analysts estimate, are between 100 to 400 recently retrofitted missiles with precision-guidance systems that can be programmed to land within metres of their targets. The technology is predominantly Iranian and Russian, though it is sometimes modified by Hezbollah’s weapon experts.Military analysts view Hezbollah’s fighting force as more disciplined, better trained and better organised than most West Asian armies. It is made up of about 30,000 troops and 20,000 reservists. And, according to analysts, it has the ability to quickly recruit and train thousands of new foot soldiers through its role as a political power and a social-service provider in many Lebanese communities. medium109216643The HouthisA recent addition to Iran’s network of allies, these militants have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a major shipping route.The Houthis became the de facto rulers of Yemen after taking control of the capital in 2014. They now control about one-third of the country, home to 70-80% of the population, according to US officials.Recent actionsA Houthi attack on March 6 in the Red Sea killed three seamen, wounded four others and damaged their Barbados-flagged cargo ship so badly that it sank. Other Houthi strikes have targeted vessels owned by Britain and Greece.Since the war in Gaza broke out, the Houthis, expressing solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, have launched more than 60 missile and drone strikes on ships transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to the US Congressional Research Service. medium109218427The attacks have affected commerce worldwide. Shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal has dropped at least 50%, according to the International Monetary Fund. Some industry analysts say the decrease is closer to 80%.Ports in southern Mediterranean countries are feeling the losses most acutely. Houthi missiles have also targeted Israel’s southern port of Eilat.Before the war, the Houthis attacked targets in the UAE and in Saudi Arabia.How they are linked to IranFor the most part, the Houthis receive weapons and training from Iran instead of direct financial support, but experts say they have also received narcotics, and, in the past, some petroleum products, both of which can be resold, giving the Houthis needed cash. In December 2023, the US Treasury placed sanctions on individuals and on money exchanges in Iran, Türkiye and Yemen that were involved in transferring millions of dollars from Iran to the Houthis.The Houthis share Iran’s adherence to Shia Islam as well as its antipathy for Saudi Arabia. During Yemen’s civil war, Iran and Hezbollah helped the Houthis fight against both the Yemeni government and its Saudi backers.Military capabilitiesEstimates vary widely on the Houthi militia’s manpower and the size of its arsenal.Experts say it has about 20,000 trained fighters, but in interviews, Houthi leaders have claimed to have as many as 200,000, and in 2015 the UN put the number at 75,000.What is clear, based on the recent attacks, is that the Houthis have some highly trained units adept at operating increasingly sophisticated drones as well as anti-ship ballistic missiles and missiles intended for stationary targets on land.Most of the anti-ship missiles and drones have been intercepted by US or British warships or have fallen into the sea without doing damage. medium109218450But the Houthis have hit their targets often enough to increase risks and insurance costs, leading many major shippers to avoid the Red Sea route.The European shipping giants Maersk, based in Denmark, and Hapag-Lloyd, based in Germany, are routing most of their loads around the Cape of Good Hope despite the added delivery time and cost. Those companies continuing to thread their way through the Red Sea are relying primarily on US and European navies for protection.According to a recent US Defense Intelligence Agency report and a UN report, many of the Houthis’ weapons are either Iranian or variations on Iranian models. They have used ballistic and cruise missiles to hit targets in southern Israel, more than 1,600km away.Most recently, the Houthis have deployed sea drones, some that skim the water and others that travel under the surface. The underwater ones are considered to be relatively advanced weaponry, according to Western intelligence analysts and the US Naval Institute. medium109216643Iraqi armed groupsIran has secured far-reaching influence on its neighbour and is a power both in Iraqi politics and in business across most of the country.For nearly 20 years, Iraq has been a breeding ground for increasingly powerful Shia militant groups. While they are less known than al-Qaida or the Islamic State group, they have been just as determined to strike US targets.Four in particular have had a hand in a number of the attacks in recent years: Kata’ib Hezbollah (which is unrelated to Hezbollah in Lebanon), Harakat al Nujaba, Kata’ib Sayyid al Shuhada and Asa’ib Ahl al Haq.Recent actionsAs war flared in Gaza in October, two of those groups turned up their strikes on US positions in Iraq. Kata’ib Hezbollah and Harakat al Nujaba launched 166 attacks on US military installations in Iraq and Syria, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.The early attacks wounded about 70 troops, with most of the injuries relatively minor. On January 28, however, a strike on a resupply base on the Jordanian-Syrian border killed three US troops and wounded more than 34.How they are linked to IranThe Iraqi groups’ links to Iran go back almost two decades, and over the years Iran has given them money, weapons and training.Today, Iran still provides training and weapon parts as well as technical and strategic support. The Shia groups, however, are now part of the Iraqi government’s security apparatus under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, which includes more than 35 armed groups. The Iraqi government covers the salaries of most of the rank and file. It is unclear if Iran augments the salaries for commanders and the groups’ leadership. medium109219941Iran is believed not to dictate the groups’ targets or the timing of their attacks, but it does have some sway in persuading them to hold fire.That is what happened after the deadly strike on the US resupply base in January. Iran reportedly put intense pressure on the groups in Iraq to halt their strikes on US camps and installations. The groups reluctantly agreed, although some continued to carry out occasional attacks in Syria and Israel.Military capabilitiesKata’ib Hezbollah, which analysts estimate has between 10,000 and 30,000 fighters, uses drones, rockets and missiles with ranges of up to about 1,120km, according to the US Central Command.With Iran’s help, the group has gained the capacity to retrofit missiles to make them more accurate. It also has a variety of attack drones, including some that can travel up to 720km. A drone was used in the attack on the resupply base that killed three American troops.Harakat al Nujaba and Kata’ib Sayyid al Shuhada have fewer troops — analysts estimate their troop numbers are closer to 1,000 to 5,000 — but use similar weapons. They operate primarily in Syria and have attacked Israel. medium109216643Syrian armed groupsNowhere has Iran given more resources to a regional government than Syria, which has been at war for over a decade.Iran has spread its resources widely, backing armed elements both outside and within the Syrian government. In contrast to Lebanon, where Iran has focused its efforts on a non-state armed entity, in Syria the support has gone to both government and non-governmental armed actors.Two are proxy groups made up of fighters recruited in Iran and entirely controlled by the Quds Force, the external military and intelligence service of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Others are local forces made up of fellow Shias, of Sunnis or of a mix of the Sunni, Shia, Alawite and Christian faiths.How they are linked to IranIran has helped prop up Assad in numerous ways, including through billions of dollars in loans to the government, supplies of discounted oil and payments to help sustain Syria’s military forces.The Revolutionary Guard also fields at least two militias in Syria: the Fatemiyoun brigade, made up of Afghan refugees, and the Zainebiyoun brigade, made up of Pakistani refugees. It reportedly pays other armed contingents more modest salaries. medium109219170Iran’s involvement in Syria goes back to just after the 1979 Iranian Revolution, when Syria supported the new government in Tehran as others shunned it. Iran sees Syria as a strategic partner offering it overland access to Hezbollah in Lebanon.Military capabilitiesSyria is also where Iranian-backed forces retrofit, manufacture and store weapons that Iran then distributes to armed groups in Syria and around the region, above all Hezbollah. Over the past 12 to 15 years, at Iran’s behest, the Syrian government has retooled some of its weapon facilities into production centres for retrofitting midrange rockets and missiles with precision-guidance systems, according to Israeli defence and intelligence reports.The existence of these sites, some of which are underground for protection, became public in 2022 when then Israeli defence minister Benny Gantz spoke out about them after Israel bombed Syria and the strikes set off secondary explosions. The US has also bombed Iranian weapon stores in Syria.Syria also has a history of chemical-weapon production dating to the 1970s and of short- and medium-range missiles adapted for their delivery, according to French intelligence officials. In 2023, the UN Security Council concluded that Syria still had chemical-weapon stores despite numerous international efforts to compel the government to destroy them.‘Iran very close to nuke weapons capability’Iran is edging closer to nuclear weapons capability and Tehran is rapidly accumulating enriched uranium, “some of it very close to weapons grade”, the Washington Post said on April 10 quoting officials who fear that a “bomb could be a short dash away”.The latest development comes amid heightened tension in West Asia and six years after the Donald Trump administration withdrew from the Iran nuclear accord.“While Iran says it has no plans to make nuclear weapons, it now has a supply of highly enriched uranium that could be converted to weapons-grade fuel for at least three bombs in a time-frame ranging from a few days to a few weeks,” the newspaper quoted current and former officials as saying.“The making of a crude nuclear device could follow in as little as six months after a decision is made, while overcoming the challenges of building a nuclear warhead deliverable by a missile would take longer, perhaps two years or more,” the newspaper said.The article said that inspectors during their latest visit in February to Fordow complex — Iran’s nuclear complex — witnessed “frenzied activity”.“More worryingly, Fordow was scaling up production of a more dangerous form of nuclear fuel — a kind of highly enriched uranium, just shy of weapons grade,” according to the report. “Iranian officials in charge of the plant, meanwhile, had begun talking openly about achieving ‘deterrence’, suggesting that Tehran now had everything it needed to build a bomb if it chose,” it added.