Iranian Proxies in Lebanon, Iraq Threaten Tenuous Ceasefire
Firefighters work at the site of a strike in Nahariya, Israel, on March 16.
Photographer: Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images
As the Iran war grinds on, the US is ramping up pressure on allies in Iraq and Lebanon to neuter Tehran-linked proxies whose continued attacks threaten a tenuous ceasefire and remain a source of significant leverage for the Islamic Republic.
Almost 10 weeks into the conflict, Iran is leaning on its militias in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon to undermine efforts to disarm them, according to people with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. This has hindered US efforts to roll back Tehran’s influence in the region, with the proxies emerging as a key obstacle to a peace deal, alongside Iran’s nuclear program and control over the Strait of Hormuz.