Iran's 'Axis of Resistance' and the Escalating Middle East Tensions

The "axis of resistance" is an informal alliance of various Sunni and Shia Muslim groups and governments in the Middle East, supported to varying degrees by Iran. This alliance includes Hamas, which receives funding and weapons from Iran but maintains its own separate identity and has other backers. While there is no direct evidence of Iran's involvement in the recent Hamas attack on Israel, there are evident links between Iran and the attacks carried out by Hamas. The axis of resistance aims to coordinate opposition to Israel, and there has been increased cross-border coordination between Iran-backed groups in recent years. This coordination allows Iran to tightly control escalation and deescalation in the region.