Iran has threatened to take revenge of the attack on its embassy in Syria's damascus which has brought the discussion on the 'Axis of Resistance' group to the forefront keeping the Middle East on the Edge. Ever since the beginning of the October 7 war, this Iran grouping has also made it to the headlines, which includes Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose attack on Israel sparked the war.
The 'axis of resistance' is a network of autonomous militant Islamist groups through which Iran tries to fan influence on the Middle East. The name is a play on the claim by US President George W Bush, who in 2002 said that Iran, Iraq and North Korea made up an Axis of Evil.
The network includes Gaza's Hamas, Lebanons' Hezbollah, and the Houthis of Yemen among other groups with a radical approach in its strategy and tactics.
The group plays a pivotal role in the geopolitics of the Middle East and by extension with the West and its allies that when Hamas' attack was underway on Israel, it called on the network to join the struggle. “Our brothers in the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq and Syria, this is the day when your resistance unites with your people in Palestine,” Mohammed Deif said in an audio message.
So far Iran has played no direct role in the conflict which has spread through the Middle East since the Gaza war but has backed the groups which have taken part in attacking Israel, US interests, and Red Sea shipping.
However, the conflict between the Axis and its enemies have remained limited for years and Iran has not faced reprisals for the attacks by its members like Hamas ot Hezbollah even though Iran funds and supports the Axis.
But it could change owing to the events in the past few months with the October 7 offensive being one of the main factors.
Hezbollah
The Lebanon's rebel group was set up by the Iran's Revolutionary Guards with an aim to fight against Israeli forces that had invaded the country in 1982. Hezbollah, which means "Party of God" is widely regarded as more powerful than the Lebanese state and shares Shi'ite Islamist iedology with Iran.
The group, which has been listed as a terrorist organisation by the US and other governments including U.S. allied Gulf Arab countries, has served as a model for other Tehran-backed groups across the region.
Houthi
Yemen's Houthi movement established control over large parts of Yemen during the 2014 civil war when they seized Sanaa, overthrowing the government. They also share the Shi'ite Islam and belong to the Zaydi sect.
They gained prominence recently after they expnaded their role by attacking shipping in the southern Red Sea in November last year saying they were targeting vessels belonging to Israelis or heading to Israeli ports - though some of the targeted ships had no known Israeli links.
Syria
The Bashar al-Assad government of Syria is also a part of the Axis of Resitance but has not played any direct role in the current conflict.
Iraq's Islamic Resistance
The Shi'ite group with ties to Iran emerged as a powerful player after the 2003 US-led invasion and developed militas with scores of fighters. The Islamic Resistance, an umbrella group of Shi'ite Islamist armed factions shad been targeting US forces stationed in Iraq and Syria in October, saying they aimed to respond to Israeli attacks on Palestinians and to resist US forces deployed in Iraq and the region.