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Iran projected power in the Middle East through the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, a network of allied militant groups in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. This axis was also seen as a defensive belt, intended to keep conflicts away from Iranian borders. However, it weakened after Israel targeted Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and other groups during the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, rebels overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad in 2024 after a long and bloody war in which Iran supported his government.
