How Benjamin Netanyahu's 'Abraham Alliance' Challenges Iran's Dilemmatic 'Axis Of Resistance'? Explained

(MENAFN- Live Mint) While the destruction and death toll among Palestinians in Gaza has drawn international criticism of Israel, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has focused on the existential threat to his country and the region from Iran and its proxies in the so-called 'Axis of Resistance'.

Netanyahu referred to coordinated defence in a speech to a joint meeting of the US Congress, calling it a possible template for a NATO accord. He said,“I have a name for this new alliance-The Abraham Alliance.”

The Abraham Accords opened Israel's relations with Arab countries and shifted the paradigm of the Arab-Israeli conflict. On the pretext of stopping Israel's plan to annex parts of the West Bank in July 2020, the United Arab Emirates engaged in negotiations to normalize relations.

In his speech to Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted the significant threat posed by Iran to the Middle East and advocated for the creation of an anti-Iran“Abraham Alliance.”

Netanyahu's comments emphasized the shared security concerns facing the United States across the Red Sea, Africa, and Ukraine, pointing to the expansionist policies of the Islamic Republic as a common, yet often unaddressed, denominator.

The network of Iran-backed groups across the Middle East dedicated to diminishing US influence and ultimately eliminating Israel is known as the“Axis of Resistance.”

The origins of the "Axis of Resistance" trace back to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which brought radical Shia Muslim clerics to power. To extend its political and military influence in a region predominantly dominated by Sunni-majority countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran's new regime began supporting non-state actors.

Also Read: How Benjamin Netanyahu boosted rise of Khaled Meshaal, likely new chief of Hamas

Additionally, this strategy aimed to counter threats from Israel and the US, as Iran perceives Israel's establishment in 1948 as a tool for Western influence in the region to serve its strategic interests.

The term“axis of resistance” is also believed as a counter to President George W. Bush's“axis of evil” label, which referred to Iran, Iraq , and North Korea in his 2002 State of the Union address.

Middle East powerhouse Iran is officially committed to the destruction of what it terms the "Zionist entity" and supports armed groups across the region that have attacked Israel since the outbreak of the Gaza war.

In April, Iran launched its first-ever direct attack on Israeli soil, using a barrage of drones and missiles in response to a deadly strike on its consular annexe in Damascus, which was attributed to Israel. Shortly thereafter, explosions occurred in Iran's central Isfahan province, with U.S. officials attributing the incident to a retaliatory strike by Israel.

Israel has not commented on the killing of Haniyeh, but Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed "harsh punishment" in response.

Lebanon's Hezbollah, the most influential group within the "axis of resistance," has engaged in nearly daily cross-border skirmishes with Israel since the Gaza war began.

The recent killing of Shukr, whom Israel accuses of orchestrating a weekend attack on the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights that resulted in the deaths of 12 children, has heightened fears of a severe retaliation from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah, meaning "Party of God" in Arabic, was established during the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) following Israel's 1982 invasion of Beirut. Founded with the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the group initially fought Israeli forces occupying southern Lebanon until their withdrawal in 2000.

Also Read: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu vows retaliation against Hezbollah after deadly rocket strike kills 12 children

Unlike other factions, Hezbollah retained its weapons after the civil war and is believed to possess a larger arsenal than the Lebanese army. Since its last major conflict with Israel in 2006, Hezbollah has significantly enhanced both the size and capability of its arsenal. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has frequently asserted that the group's advanced weaponry can reach deep into Israeli territory.

Hamas , which originated from the Muslim Brotherhood movement, was established in 1987 during the first Palestinian uprising, known as the intifada, and has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007. Over the years, the group has faced targeted assassinations of its political and military leaders, leading its leadership to operate from abroad, including Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, and Turkey.

In recent years, Hamas has strengthened its relationship with Iran, becoming a significant member of the "axis of resistance." The latest Gaza war was triggered by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,197 people, mostly civilians, according to AFP based on Israeli figures. Israel's response has led to at least 39,480 fatalities in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Israel has vowed to defeat Hamas and recently announced the killing of the group's military chief in a July 13 airstrike in Gaza, though Hamas has not yet confirmed this claim.

Several Iraqi Shiite Muslim groups, aligned with Iran and opposed to the United States, are calling for the withdrawal of approximately 2,500 American troops stationed in Iraq as part of a US-led anti-jihadist coalition. These groups have formed a loose coalition known as the Islamic Resistance of Iraq.

In the early months of the Gaza war, the coalition targeted U.S. forces in Iraq to show support for the Palestinians but suspended their attacks by late January. The alliance has also claimed to have launched drone and rocket attacks against Israel.

The key groups within this alliance include Kataeb Hezbollah, Al-Nujaba, and the Sayyed al-Shuhada Brigades. These factions are affiliated with Hashed al-Shaabi, a network of former paramilitaries who have been integrated into Iraq's armed forces.

The Houthis, a Zaydi Shia Muslim minority group, have carried out numerous attacks on commercial shipping in the Gulf, which they claim are connected to Israel in the aftermath of the Gaza war. These actions have prompted retaliatory strikes by the United States and its allies.

The Houthis have also claimed responsibility for targeting Israel, occasionally collaborating with Iraqi groups in their operations. On July 20, Israel launched its first attack on Yemen's Houthi-controlled Hodeida port following a Houthi drone strike that killed a civilian in Tel Aviv the previous day.

Originating from northern Yemen, the Houthis were established in the 1990s to address the perceived marginalization of their Zaidi Shia community in a predominantly Sunni country. In 2014, they seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large areas of Yemen, leading Saudi Arabia to form a multinational coalition in 2015 to support Yemen's internationally recognized government.

Founded in 1979 in Gaza, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) is one of the two primary Palestinian militant organizations in Gaza, with the other being the ruling Hamas.

While the two groups cooperate, PIJ stands apart from Hamas in its refusal to engage in negotiations with Israel.

Also Read: What is Palestinian Islamic Jihad?

Islamic Jihad receives its main financial support, military training, and weaponry from Iran.

Additionally, Hezbollah offers a safe haven to PIJ leaders and representatives in Lebanon, likely facilitating Iran's backing of Islamic Jihad. The group also engages in joint training activities with Hamas.

As reported by the Associated Press, Nabih Awada, a Lebanese political and military analyst with ties to the Iranian-backed“axis of resistance” and a former fighter with the Lebanese Communist Party who spent a decade in Israeli prisons with some current Hamas leaders, stated that Hezbollah viewed the strike in Beirut as a“violation of all rules of engagement.” He noted that it targeted a civilian residential area and that Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur was attacked“in his home rather than in a military headquarters.”

Also Read: Why Iran is hard to intimidate

“Hezbollah has developed many equations,” including that the response to a strike in Beirut's southern suburbs will be in Haifa.

For Iran, the current situation is more complex.

The present moment somewhat echoes the events of April when Israel and Iran nearly went to war after Israel attacked an Iranian consular building in Damascus, killing two Iranian generals. Iran responded with an unprecedented direct strike on Israel, but diplomatic efforts managed to de-escalate the situation.

However, there are significant differences now. The assassination of Haniyeh occurred on Iranian soil, which has embarrassed Tehran and demonstrated Israel's ability to strike targets within its borders. While some analysts believe the impact may be lessened since Haniyeh was not an Iranian figure, Iranian officials have vowed a strong response.

Also Read: Iran says a short-range projectile killed Hamas' Haniyeh and reiterates vows of retaliation

Krieg noted that while Haniyeh's death is“damaging reputationally” for Iran and“humiliating” as it reveals Tehran's inability to protect high-profile visitors,“Haniyeh is not an integral part of the axis of resistance.”

“His death has no strategic implications for Iran other than it being a slap in the face because you're the host and your guest was killed while you were on watch,” he told AP.

Nomi Bar-Yaacov, an associate fellow in the International Security Programme at Chatham House, suggested that Iran might seek to retaliate through its proxies.

“They have got their people, training, arming, planning everywhere, and they can reach anywhere in the world,” she said.“They can also hit Israeli or Jewish targets globally.”

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, anticipated that Iran's response would involve another direct attack on Israel.

The strike on Haniyeh“wasn't just on Iranian territory, it was in Tehran,” he said.“It was at the inauguration. It doesn't matter who was targeted” and whether or not the target was Iranian, AP reported.

MENAFN04082024007365015876ID1108514589