A loose alliance of rogue state actors and terrorist organizations?dubbed the ?Axis of Terror??is threatening the US vision for a remodeled Middle East. Iran has joined with Palestinian terrorist organizations, Hezbollah , and Syria to form an axis that deters conventionally superior enemies and facilitates Iran?s goal of becoming the pre-eminent power in the region.
Since the outbreak of the 2000 Palestinian Intifida, Iran has substantially increased its aid to Palestinian terrorist organizations and, thereby, its influence on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Tehran has sponsored scores of terrorist attacks within Israel and served as an economic lifeline for Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) , Hamas , and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command . Moreover, Tehran recently pledged $50 million to support the bankrupt, Hamas-led Palestinian Authority that refuses to recognize Israel or renounce violence. Tehran?s patronage has earned the loyalty of its benefactors; the leaders of Hamas and PIJ have pledged to escalate terrorist activity against Israel in the event of an American or Israeli military strike on Iranian nuclear installations . A deep-seated hatred for the state of Israel binds Tehran to the cause of Palestinian extremists, an enmity instilled by the founder of Iran?s Islamic theocracy and echoed in the words of its current President : ?[Israel] must be wiped out from the map of the world” (source).
Iran has funded, armed, and politically supported its creation and proxy?the Lebanese Hezbollah?since the terrorist organization?s inception in the early 1980s. Hezbollah members revere the deceased Ayatollah Khomeini and faithfully recognize the wilayat (authority over the Islamic nation) of Iran?s current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei . Hezbollah receives an annual budget of over $100 million from Tehran and subsequently coordinates Iran?s logistical and financial support for Palestinian terror. To this end, Iranian officials also brokered a peaceful conclusion to Hamas and Hezbollah?s historic rivalry, facilitating a greater synchronization between the two groups to the detriment of Israel. Additionally, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah are currently in Iraq , developing and strengthening relationships with their Iraqi Shiite brethren (including Moqtada al-Sadr?s Mahdi Army ) and fostering pro-Iranian sentiment. Furthermore, Tehran is likely to activate Hezbollah for attacks against western targets and/or Israel if the survival of the Iranian nuclear program or the regime itself is effectively threatened by aggressive western measures . Reminding the world of this specific capability, President Ahmadinejad reportedly appeared in January 2005 in Damascus with Hezbollah?s most notorious and dangerous operative: Imad Mugniyah.
Iran?s projection of power into the Middle East is predicated on a working relationship with Syria. Granted control of Lebanon after the 1989 Taif Accord, Syria has allowed Hezbollah to flourish as an armed militia. Tehran?s supply route to Hezbollah runs straight through Damascus, and the Syrian regime has facilitated the transfer of Katyusha rockets and advance missile systems into Lebanon. The Syrian government is likewise a strong supporter of Palestinian terrorist organizations; the leadership of PIJ and Hamas reside and coordinate policy in Damascus. The Syria-Iran relationship has been significantly strengthened in recent years . The extreme pressure exerted by western powers on the Syrian government for its continued presence in Lebanon, involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri , and repressive form of governance pushed Damascus toward a welcoming Tehran. Iran?s political and economic support has helped bolster the Asad regime, keeping a crucial ally within the Iranian sphere of influence.
Iran is the nucleus of the ?Axis of Terror.? The additional elements?all critical components?are linked to Iran and each other in mutually supportive roles, coalesced around a shared policy that is anti-Israel and opposed to the US role in the Middle East region.