At one level, Iran’s support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels could pass for magnificent statecraft. By supporting the militants’ attacks against Red Sea shipping, the mullahs in Tehran have managed at minimal cost to disrupt the global economy and show up US claims to provide security to the region. The relationship underscores how effectively pliable non-state actors can serve the interests of nations that might otherwise struggle to project power in their region.

Those who live by the militant’s sword, however, die by it, too. Imperial powers that grow dependent on non-state armed groups tend to end up fighting them, or organizations very much like them. The Americans found that out in Afghanistan. Eventually, as the Romans discovered centuries ago, proxies might even consume the empire that long supported them.

QOSHE - Iran's Proxies Aren't Just a Problem for Its Enemies - Mihir Sharma
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Iran's Proxies Aren't Just a Problem for Its Enemies

11 1
29.01.2024

At one level, Iran’s support for Yemen’s Houthi rebels could pass for magnificent statecraft. By supporting the militants’ attacks against Red Sea shipping, the mullahs in Tehran have managed at........

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