Since its 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has expanded its influence and asserted its dominance across the region. After four decades, Iran’s era of regional dominance looks to be waning after suffering its most significant setback with the fall of the Assad regime in Syria—an integral link in its so-called axis of resistance.
Now, as Tehran struggles for air, it seeks to ensure it does not also lose its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, which was also dealt a deadly blow by Israel in 2024, through a string of assassinations that took out the group's top-brass leadership, including the iconic Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah.
Dangerous delusions
For its part, Hezbollah seems to be in denial. Beyond its imagined victories, it claims to have rearmed and regrouped, committing itself to a lie that many do not believe.
For its part, Tehran continues to rhetorically back the group—as seen during the recent meeting between a Hezbollah representative and the Supreme Leader in Iran—encouraging them to cling to their weapons despite mounting pressure from the US and Israel for them to disarm.
