Inside Iran’s Shadow Empire: Mapping Its Expanding Proxy Network Across the Middle East in 2025
Iran’s network of proxy militias is shaping Middle East conflicts in 2025. This in-depth map of Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi PMFs, and more explains how Tehran’s influence stretches from Lebanon to the Gulf.
NewsSutra
In 2025, Iran’s growing web of proxy militias has become one of the most potent geopolitical tools in the Middle East, reshaping the region’s balance of power without a single formal declaration of war. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen, and from Shiite militias in Iraq to clandestine cells in Bahrain and Syria, Iran’s influence stretches across borders—arming, funding, and directing non-state actors to advance its strategic goals.
The West often views these forces as destabilizing, but for Tehran, they are the backbone of its asymmetric warfare doctrine. With a mix of ideology, coercion, and military support, Iran has cultivated a network that rivals state actors in power and reach. This article maps that network, explaining who these militias are, how they function, and why they matter more than ever in 2025.
The Strategic Logic of Iran’s Proxy Warfare
Iran’s leadership, especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its elite Quds Force, has long relied on proxy forces to project power. This approach minimizes the direct risk to Iran’s own military forces while giving it plausible deniability in conflicts.
A 2025 report from the Washington Institute outlines how Iran's investment in asymmetric warfare has made it a central player in nearly every Middle Eastern conflict. The strategy is clear: keep adversaries, especially Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United States, off balance through regional entanglements.
Hezbollah (Lebanon): The Model Proxy
At the heart of Iran’s proxy doctrine lies Hezbollah, the Shiite militia-turned-political powerhouse based in Lebanon. Formed in the 1980s with IRGC assistance, Hezbollah has evolved into a hybrid organization—with both a paramilitary wing and a parliamentary presence.
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Military Role: Hezbollah boasts an arsenal of over 150,000 missiles and rockets, many supplied or financed by Iran. Its fighters are battle-hardened from years of war in Syria.
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Recent Activity: In 2025, cross-border skirmishes with Israel have intensified following the July airstrike that allegedly targeted Iran’s president. Hezbollah has also begun deploying precision-guided missiles into southern Lebanon, triggering alarms in Tel Aviv and Washington.
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U.S. Viewpoint: The U.S. Department of State continues to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, while pushing sanctions against its financiers and Iranian sponsors.
Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) – Iraq’s Shiite Militias
Iraq is arguably the most critical arena for Iranian proxy activity after Lebanon. Since the defeat of ISIS, Iranian-backed groups have entrenched themselves within the Iraqi state under the banner of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
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Key Groups:
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Kata’ib Hezbollah
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Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq
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Harakat al-Nujaba
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Iran’s Leverage: Iran supplies these groups with drones, rockets, and funding, using them to influence Baghdad’s policies and to launch attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.
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2025 Escalation: Multiple U.S. airstrikes have recently targeted PMF facilities in western Iraq after a surge in attacks on U.S. bases near Erbil and Al-Asad.
Houthis (Yemen): The Long Arm in the Arabian Peninsula
Iran’s support for the Houthi movement in Yemen has transformed a once-local rebellion into a regional threat. While Iran denies direct command over the Houthis, intelligence reports and intercepted shipments have shown clear material and advisory support.
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Capabilities in 2025:
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Ballistic missiles, drones, and naval mines capable of reaching Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
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Regular disruption of Red Sea maritime traffic, threatening global shipping routes.
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Recent Developments:
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In July 2025, the U.S. launched strikes under Operation Rough Rider, hitting Houthi radar and drone launch sites near Hodeidah.
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The United Nations Panel of Experts confirms Iran-supplied components in advanced Houthi weaponry.
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Strategic Importance: The Houthis give Iran leverage near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical global trade chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
Liwa Fatemiyoun and Liwa Zaynabiyoun – Afghan and Pakistani Militias in Syria
Less known to the general public but deeply embedded in Iran’s regional ambitions are the Fatemiyoun Division (Afghan fighters) and Zaynabiyoun Brigade (Pakistani fighters), both operating under IRGC-Quds Force control.
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Deployment:
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Stationed primarily in Syria to support the Assad regime.
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Used as expendable forces in high-risk frontline operations.
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Recruitment and Training:
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Fighters are recruited from refugee populations in Iran.
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Reports from Human Rights Watch have condemned Iran’s recruitment of minors for these units.
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Current Status:
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Both units remain active near Deir ez-Zor and Homs, also conducting operations close to U.S. bases in northeastern Syria.
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Bahraini and Eastern Province Cells – The Gulf’s Silent Front
Iran has also been accused of supporting low-intensity insurgent groups and underground movements in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, home to large Shiite populations.
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Evidence:
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The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry and U.S. military intelligence have documented attempts by Iran to smuggle explosives and train local militants.
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These groups lack the firepower of Hezbollah or the Houthis but serve as psychological and political tools to pressure Gulf monarchies.
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2025 Outlook:
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No major attacks have occurred recently, but tensions remain high after the UAE normalized relations with Israel and joined U.S. naval patrols in the Gulf.
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The Iran-Hezbollah-Hamas Axis
Gaza-based Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have received Iranian support for years. In 2025, this support has intensified following Israel’s escalating operations in the West Bank and Gaza.
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Iran’s Role:
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Funding, weapons, and training—especially in tunnel warfare and drone technology.
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Hamas officials have confirmed strategic coordination with Hezbollah and Tehran via secure channels.
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Impact:
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Iran seeks to maintain a “multi-front” threat against Israel, forcing it to divide military resources between the north (Lebanon), south (Gaza), and east (Iranian missile threats).
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Proxy Warfare: A Cost-Effective Strategy
Iran’s proxy network enables it to punch above its weight, challenging far wealthier and better-armed rivals. These groups:
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Complicate direct retaliation by adversaries.
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Create strategic depth.
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Offer political leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
But it comes at a cost: economic sanctions, regional isolation, and persistent risk of escalation.
Still, Iran’s leadership sees this network as indispensable. A 2025 briefing by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace warns that Tehran has embedded its proxies too deeply for quick dismantlement—even if future peace deals are signed.
Conclusion
Iran’s proxy network is not simply a series of militias—it is a shadow empire, designed to give Tehran reach, leverage, and resilience. In 2025, these groups remain central to the Islamic Republic’s regional ambitions, shaping conflicts, threatening adversaries, and offering a strategic buffer against regime change.
For the United States and its allies, countering this network will require more than military strikes. It demands a comprehensive strategy that addresses the root causes of sectarianism, offers alternatives to disenfranchised populations, and cuts off the financial and ideological lifelines that fuel these militias.
Until then, Iran’s shadow will continue to stretch across the Middle East—from the alleys of Gaza to the deserts of Yemen.
