The September 11, 2001 attacks, followed by the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, marked the beginning of a series of transformative developments that fundamentally altered the geopolitical order of West Asia. Amid these shifts, the Islamic Republic of Iran has, more than any other regional power, sought over the past two decades to position itself as a central political, security, economic, and cultural actor in shaping, defining, and implementing various regional initiatives.
The abstract of the resistance, given the quantitative and qualitative expansion it has found in the last two decades, has been able to show itself as an effective element in the political and military processes of the West Asian region and have special capabilities. This has led to the creation of specific security arrangements around the Iranian Islamic Republic, in a better way, to establish a balance of threats in the West Asian region, to the extent that it can "automatically" repel regional and trans -regional threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran. This study was aimed at examining the strategic requirements of resistance for the national security of the Islamic Republic.) The questionnaire (and the library, in accordance with the descriptive research method used in this study, uses a library (documentary) questionnaire to test the hypothesis. The statistical population of the present study was provided by professors and students of postgraduate and doctoral political sciences and other related trends in Tehran. Research shows that multitasking and miracles of resistance axis emphasizes the activation of the capacity of the economy, the consolidation of military and defense power, and the constructive relationship of deepening cooperation with Russia and China (as well as interacting and interacting with the neighborhood policy for the Islamic policy and adopting the most important foreign policy doctrine and adopting a strategy in the West. Has: Resistance Axis, Islamic Republic of Iran, West Asia Region, National Security. Despite sustained efforts by the United States and its allies to impose sanctions, exert economic pressure, and politically isolate Iran, the country’s regional policy in West Asia has expanded significantly over the past decade. This policy is largely reflected in Iran’s cooperation with the so-called “Resistance Axis,” a concept in Iranian foreign policy that encompasses alliances with a network of formal and informal, state and non-state actors across the region.
Iran has framed its initiative within the Resistance Axis as a counterforce to the United States, the Zionist regime, and the growing trend of normalization among regional states. While Iran’s foreign policy toward Islamic resistance movements and liberation struggles is ideologically rooted in humanitarian ideals and religious obligations, this orientation does not contradict its pursuit of national security within regional and global equations. Beyond its spiritual, religious, and humanitarian dimensions, Iran’s engagement with the Resistance Axis is a strategic response to perceived threats in the West Asian regional environment. Initially defensive in nature, this support has evolved as a deterrent against hostile powers operating in the region.
However, alongside its strategic opportunities and capabilities, the Resistance Axis also presents vulnerabilities, challenges, and structural weaknesses that adversaries may exploit to undermine Iran’s national interests and security. These include economic fragility, persistent sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shia communities—and even among Shia factions regarding their alignment with Iran’s ideological and political vision—financial burdens associated with sustaining the Axis, and human losses resulting from military advisory support.
Another critical challenge is the imbalance between Iran’s military-security engagement and its political-economic relations with Resistance Axis actors. The formal and informal nature of these alliances, coupled with governance and economic disparities among member entities, introduces further complications. Thus, while the Resistance Axis yields both strategic benefits and risks for Iran’s national security and foreign policy, the central question driving this research is: What are the strategic requirements of the Resistance Axis for safeguarding the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran?
Over the past four decades, Iran has successfully deepened its strategic ties and strengthened its political, security, and military relations with groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shia factions in Iraq, thereby extending its strategic depth beyond its borders. In the last two decades, Iran has actively challenged the United States and its regional allies across multiple domains. It could be argued that no existential threat to these actors is currently more explicit, direct, and formidable than that posed by Iran.
At the strategic level, the perception of Iran by the Arab-Hebrew axis has shifted from a “containment” paradigm to one of “aggression.” Tactically, this has translated into direct attacks on Iranian assets. On the soft power front, the U.S. and its regional allies have mobilized media, cultural platforms, lobbying networks, and diplomatic influence to advance their confrontational agenda against Iran. In the semi-hard domain, they have employed sanctions, economic pressure, and political maneuvers—such as the “Deal of the Century,” the Abraham Accords, and deepening ties with regional and extra-regional powers—to recalibrate alliances and enhance their relative power vis-à-vis Iran’s position within the Resistance Axis.
Nonetheless, the substantial political, economic, and human costs borne by Iran in pursuit of these strategic gains cannot be overlooked. The security landscape in which Iran operates has become increasingly complex. The country now faces a multitude of regional and global adversaries, ranging from traditional geopolitical rivals like Saudi Arabia and Turkey to overtly hostile actors such as the United States and the Zionist regime.
These dynamics have further complicated Iran’s strategic posture. The most pressing ambiguity lies in the absence of a comprehensive, long-term plan to capitalize on the achievements of Resistance Axis forces across the region. As a result, the future trajectory of these forces remains uncertain. Although their presence in various regional states has created valuable opportunities for Iran, the reluctance or lack of conviction among certain diplomatic actors—and their hesitation to align with Resistance forces and senior military commanders operating in the region—has led to missed opportunities for enhancing Iran’s national security.