Can the “Axis of Resistance” reconstitute itself? In answering that question, it should be remembered that the strongly held emotions and convictions of millions of people in the Middle East will be more, not less, intense after the fall of Syria. From Giorgio Cafiero at maghrebi.org:
During the second half of this year, the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” suffered major blows. Today this Tehran-backed coalition of state and non-state actors is significantly weaker than it was months ago. The severe damage done to Hezbollah’s arsenal and image, as well as the Syrian regime’s fall, which ended a four-decade alliance between Damascus and Tehran, have greatly undermined the Islamic Republic’s position in the region. Probably for years, Iran’s foreign policy will reflect this new reality.
Nonetheless, although the “Axis of Resistance” is badly weakened, it is inaccurate to claim that it is “dead”. The coalition still has powerful actors within it, such as the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) in Iraq and Ansar Allah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, in Yemen. Perhaps most importantly, however, is the fact that the resistance ideology remains alive. Looking ahead, as long as the US and Israel’s foreign policies give people in the region reason to resist there will be significant segments of these societies which support the principles, values, and vision of the “Axis of Resistance.”
Iran Faces a “New Syria”
Scenes out of Damascus earlier this month sent a powerful message to Tehran about what will likely be the new Syrian political order. The ransacking of the Iranian embassy, where posters of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei were trampled on and pictures of the late Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah were torn up, illustrate the anti-Iranian sentiments of the forces which ended 61 years of Ba’athist rule in Syria on December 8 in a lightning rebel offensive led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Adding insult to injury is the fact that invading Israeli forces came within 25 kilometers of the Syrian capital shortly after Assad’s ouster.
