TEL AVIV – As violence continues to rock multiple fronts in the Middle East, Israeli security leaders and international analysts now widely agree that the true orchestrator of the region’s instability is not the proxies themselves—but their patron, the Islamic Republic of Iran. Developments since October 2023, including the Hamas massacre and the surge of Houthi missile attacks, underscore the extent to which the Iranian regime has pursued a coordinated regional campaign to destabilize Israel through its network of armed groups across the region.
A War on Multiple Fronts: The Iranian Playbook
Israel’s military remains engaged on several fronts. In the south, Hamas terrorists in Gaza have launched deadly attacks—including the October 7 massacre, the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust, marked by executions, sexual violence, and abductions of innocent civilians. In the north, Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon maintains a massive arsenal, routinely threatening cross-border strikes. To the east and across the Red Sea, the Houthis in Yemen—another arm of Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”—continue to launch missiles and drones against Israeli territory and international shipping.
Israeli officials, led by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, have repeatedly stressed that these groups are not driven by local grievances alone but act under strategic guidance from Tehran. Intelligence assessments by Israel, the United States, and multiple Western agencies routinely document Iran’s provision of advanced weaponry, financial resources, and training to Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., plays a central role in equipping and directing these groups, advancing Iranian interests while attempting to preserve plausible deniability.
The Houthi Escalation: Iran’s Influence Across the Red Sea
Maritime and missile attacks launched by the Houthis from Yemen since late 2023 have broadened the conflict’s geographic scope. These strikes, aimed at both Israeli and foreign targets in the Red Sea, threaten vital shipping lanes and have prompted joint naval protection efforts by the United States, the United Kingdom, and others. Israeli and Western intelligence maintain that such operations would not be possible without direct Iranian supply of drones, missiles, and technical know-how to the Houthis.
Senior Israeli intelligence officials have described the Houthis as “a franchise of the IRGC,” noting a precise correlation between increased Iranian shipments and the escalation of Houthi capabilities. The purpose, according to Israel’s defense ministry, is to stretch Israel’s resources thin and threaten international logistics—a strategy that matches Iran’s longstanding objective to assert dominance and undermine Western interests in the region.
Iran’s “Axis of Resistance”: Coordinating Regional Unrest
The Iranian regime’s approach relies on an interconnected network referred to as the “Axis of Resistance.” This alliance brings together the IRGC, Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Houthis under a unified doctrine of armed struggle against Israel. Concrete evidence, including intercepted communications, weapons seizures, and statements by Iranian officials, has demonstrated that Tehran provides not only material support but also strategic oversight for its proxy organizations.
Since October 7, the intensification of attacks on Israel from Gaza, Lebanon, and Yemen has been widely interpreted by military analysts as coordinated elements of Iran’s broader campaign. The Israeli government and international security experts continue to stress that focusing solely on response operations against these proxies fails to address the fundamental driver of the conflict: decisions made by Iran’s Supreme Leader and the IRGC leadership in Tehran.
Israeli Strategic Dilemma: To Strike Tehran or Contain the Proxies?
Despite growing frustration within the Israeli defense and intelligence establishment, direct Israeli military action against Iran has thus far been restrained. Israel’s deterrence policy has primarily targeted IRGC assets in Syria, disrupted weapons convoys to Hezbollah, and conducted cyber operations, while avoiding direct strikes on Iranian soil. Key considerations include the potential for regional escalation, concerns about U.S. and European reactions, and the risk of a wider conflict involving global powers.
According to sources in Jerusalem, the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Israel Katz, faces an acute dilemma: continued restraint may embolden Iran and its proxies, but direct engagement with Tehran risks an unpredictable broader war. U.S.-Israel coordination remains central to any potential response, with the administration of President Donald Trump offering support but also emphasizing the importance of multilateral consultation.
The Broader Historical and Moral Context
Analysts agree that Iran’s campaign against Israel is rooted in a doctrine of antisemitism and revolutionary ideology. The Islamic Republic’s founding documents and official rhetoric repeatedly call for the elimination of Israel. Proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis serve as extensions of this strategic vision, committing acts of terror—like the October 7 massacre—under Tehran’s guidance.
Detailed documentation shows that hostage-taking, deliberate attacks on civilians, and the use of civilian populations as shields are central to the tactics employed by these Iranian-backed groups. Israel’s obligation to defend its population is recognized under international law, and the distinction between victims abducted by terror groups and convicted terrorists released in exchange is clear and legally binding.
Global Implications: The Threat to International Stability
International actors have responded to the threat posed by Iranian proxies with increased naval operations and heightened intelligence sharing. Maritime disruptions in the Red Sea affect global energy flows and trade. European intelligence, along with U.S. military briefings, consistently identifies Iran as the primary source of advanced weaponry supplied to its proxies.
Despite these efforts, the international community has yet to implement measures that effectively deter Tehran’s leadership. Senior Israeli officials and security experts argue that the sustainability of Western security—and the fate of regional stability—depends on confronting Iranian responsibility for orchestrating the conflict.
Conclusion: The Source of Instability—Tehran
As Israel navigates one of the most perilous periods in its modern history, decision-makers and military leaders increasingly assert that the root of ongoing violence is not in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, or Yemen, but in the corridors of power in Tehran. Without international recognition of this fact—and a unified effort to address Iran’s leadership—the regional conflict will likely escalate. Israel’s advocates for decisive action stress that, to ensure the security of Israel and its allies, responses must target the architects of aggression, not only their proxies.
