Iran suffered a defeat in the 12-day war with Israel. Its limited response to the IDF’s devastating strikes, alongside the penetration of Israeli intelligence into the highest security and political levels, revealed the fragility of Iran’s conventional military strength. Meanwhile, domestic hardships such as water shortages and droughts continue to worsen. However, neither the devastating war nor domestic hardships caused the Iranian regime to abandon even a fraction of its ideology. Since its grand strategy is entirely dictated by ideology, the regime has not yet shown any signs of adjusting its approach to reality. Although Iran’s asymmetric assets have either been lost or significantly weakened, Tehran still clings to other pillars of its strategy.
One of these pillars is what the Iranian doctrine refers to as “the unity of Resistance fronts” (vahdat-e jabhe-hay-e moqavvamat) or “the unity of battlefields” (vahdat-emaydanha). The late Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by U.S. forces, was credited with coining this term, which has since entered the Iranian strategic lexicon. This doctrine suggests that Iran and its proxies form a single, coordinated front across the Middle East. Despite setbacks on individual battlefields, Iran believes the integrated “Axis of Resistance” can employ asymmetric tactics, ideological appeal, and information warfare to outlast and weaken its adversaries. Each resistance front serves a specific goal that aligns with Iran’s long-term policy objectives. The military actions of some Iranian proxies are continually coordinated with the diplomatic efforts of Iran’s allies elsewhere. Consequently, one of the biggest mistakes Middle East analysts can make is viewing various resistance fronts as entirely separate issues without recognizing their close connection to Iran. For example, you cannot address the Houthis without considering that they receive guidance and weapons from Tehran.
Read more at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security.
Alex Grinberg is a Senior Fellow at the Turan Research Center.