Iran's Proxy Network: Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis Explained by Mizobuchi Masaki
Professor Mizobuchi Masaki of Meiji Gakuin University breaks down Iran’s asymmetric strategy and why each armed group operates on its own terms.
- Iran’s three-pillar security doctrine against US/Israel military superiority: nuclear development, ballistic missile development, and regional proxy support.
- Hezbollah is Iran’s closest and most trusted ally — Shia ties between Lebanese and Iranian clergy predate modern borders and run centuries deep.
- Hamas is Sunni, had almost no Iran ties at founding in 1987; relationship collapsed around 2014 when Hamas backed Syrian rebels against Iran’s ally Assad, only patched up circa 2021.
- Iran did not order the October 2023 Hamas attack — it was unwelcome and unexpected; Hamas trained in Iran from 2021 but the operation was self-initiated.
- Israel maintained a covert management relationship with Hamas post-2007 — allowing Qatari funds through and tolerating low-level rockets rather than dismantling the group entirely.
- Hezbollah’s leadership including Secretary-General Nasrallah was killed and forces severely degraded in September 2024; it resumed missile fire after the US-Israel large-scale attack on Iran on February 28, 2026.
- Even if the US and Iran reach a deal, Hezbollah-Israel conflict continues independently — Iran is demanding any agreement include a Lebanon ceasefire precisely because Israel intends to keep fighting there.
- Houthis currently hold back from escalation to protect their domestic Yemen position, but retain leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical Europe-Asia shipping chokepoint.
2026-04-27 · Watch on YouTube
