IRAN’S RELATIONS WITH HEZBOLLAH AND EMERGING SECURITY DYNAMICS OF THE REGION

Abstract

This paper examines how Iran has used transnational networks, ideology, and non-state groups to project influence across the Middle East from the 1979 revolution to the post-2025 regional environment. Rather than treating Iran’s actions as sudden or purely revolutionary, the study traces the deep historical roots of Tehran’s outreach to groups such as the Lebanese Shia and Iraqi Kurds during the Pahlavi era. Drawing on academic writings, historical records, and contemporary analyses, the paper discusses how Wilayat al-Faqih shaped Iran’s modern foreign policy, how Hezbollah became a central pillar of Iran’s regional architecture, and how recent conflicts, including the October 2023 Hamas attack and the 2025 Iran Israel war exposed new limitations in Iran’s proxy strategy. The findings suggest that although Iran continues to rely on non-state partners, shifting geopolitical realities are pressuring Tehran to adapt, modernize, and partially decentralize its approach to regional power projection.