Iran is believed to have a complex network of Middle Eastern connections and relationships that are sometimes cloaked in secret. While some of these alliances have been disclosed to the public, others are kept secret, with Iran's strategic interests driving the decision to keep these secret alliances secret.
One of the most notable instances is Iran's ties with Hamas, the Islamist organisation that rules Gaza. Despite the fact that Hamas is a Sunni Muslim organisation and Iran is a Shia Muslim country, the two have had a long-standing alliance since the 1990s. This relationship is based on a common opposition to the State of Israel, with Iran offering military and financial support to Hamas in the past.Its struggle over the Israeli occupation of Palestinians.
The Houthis, a Shia Muslim rebel organisation that controls a significant portion of northern Yemen, which is are yet another instance of Iran's covert friends. Iran has been accused of giving military and financial assistance to the Houthis in order to strengthen its hold in Yemen and counteract Saudi Arabia's dominance in the region. Yemen's conflict has devolved into a proxy war involving Iran and Saudi Arabia, with the Houthis serving as Iran's primary tool in exerting influence in the nation.
Iran's ties with the Taliban is just another example of a long-standing hidden collaboration. While Iran and the Taliban were once bitter adversaries, they have reconciled.
They have forged a friendship based on their mutual objection to the deployment of US soldiers in Afghanistan. Iran has been accused of giving military and financial assistance to the Taliban in order to counteract US involvement in the region.
In addition to these cases, Iran has been accused of supplying assistance to several Middle Eastern terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and ISIS. While Iran publicly condemns these groups and has even fought against them in some cases, it is widely assumed that Iran has provided covert support to these groups in order to advance its regional strategic interests.
Many Middle Eastern countries, as well as the United States and Israel, have expressed concern about secret alliances.
other Western countries. These relationships are viewed as a danger to regional stability and a challenge to the US and its allies' dominance in the area. As tensions between Iran and its neighbours escalate, the role of Iran's hidden friends is set to become increasingly more vital in moulding the Middle East's destiny.
Sources:
"Iran's Secret Partnerships," by Ali Alfoneh, Foreign Policy, September 17, 2019.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/17/irans-secret-partnerships/
"Iran's Hidden Friends," by Simon Henderson, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, May 16, 2018.
https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/irans-hidden-friends
"Iran's Covert Allies," by Al-Monitor, May 30, 2013.
https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/security/01/05/irans-covert-allies.html
"Iran's Covert Network of Allies Poses Vexing Challenge for US," by Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press, June 10, 2019.
https://apnews.com/article/iran-middle-east-israel-597b54f24683a766d686d23f0a921a0c
"Iran's Secret Network of Allies Revealed," by Amir Toumaj, The Long War Journal, October 31, 2019.
https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2019/10/irans-secret-network-of-allies-revealed.php
"Iran's Covert Activities and Secret Allies," by Strategic Culture Foundation, December 6, 2018.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/12/06/irans-covert-activities-and-secret-allies/
"Iran's Secret Allies in the Middle East," by Mehdi Khalaji, Bloomberg Opinion, May 28, 2019.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-28/iran-s-secret-allies-in-the-middle-east
