Iran-Backed Militias Gather on Israel’s Borders
For over four decades, Iran has built a “Ring of Fire” around Israel, using terrorist groups to expand its influence in the Middle East. However, recent Israeli military actions have started to dismantle this network, potentially marking a turning point in the conflict.
Amnon Sofrin, former Mossad Intelligence Director, told Digital, “There’s a clock in Tehran set in 2015, showing how much time Israel has left. They believe Israel should be gone by 2040. They’ve been preparing for this. Some Iran-backed militias scouted with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, saying they’d help if the IDF went into Lebanon.
“But,” Sofrin added, “we’re already in Lebanon, and no pro-Iranian militia has helped. Iran isn’t ordering its proxies to join the ground war – at least not yet.”
While Tehran’s proxies haven’t directly joined ground battles, they’ve shown “support” in other ways. This month, pro-Iranian militias launched drone attacks from Iraq on an Israeli base in the Golan Heights, killing two Israeli soldiers and injuring 24.
This isn’t the first time pro-Iranian groups in Iraq have attacked Israel. In April, a drone from Iraq crossed through Jordan and exploded at an IDF base in Eilat without being stopped. “That was a sophisticated move, sending it through Jordan to Eilat,” said Sofrin, “showing their high capabilities.”
In Iraq, the Popular Mobilization Forces, made up of around 25 to 30 Shiite in response to ISIS, have been Iran’s boots on the ground, strengthening its position in Iraq and Syria.
Professor Uzi Rabi, head of the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv University, explains, “The pro-Iranian militias are the ones benefitting from ISIS’s defeat. Iraqi militias number around 60,000 to 70,000, making them a powerful force. This contingent is backed by the Shiite regime in Iraq and is deeply integrated into the state. They have military capabilities that go beyond being just militias; like , they are more than just a faction.”
Rabi highlighted another concerning development. “There’s a growing closeness between the Houthis in Yemen and the militias in Iraq; the Houthis have opened an office in Baghdad and are training there.
“Reports say the Houthis have already sent a unit to southern Syria, made up of experts in missiles and rockets, to train Syrian militias. The Houthis are recruiting and training various militias, which could lead to their presence in Iraq or southern Syria, from where they could attack Israel and American forces in the region, either directly or with missiles.”
“Iran is deploying forces, and it’s possible that the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq and Syria will join in targeting Israel,” Rabi elaborated, “However, I believe that the Iraqi arena is more of a facilitator; its role is to create an Iranian corridor across the region, facilitating to the focal point, which is Hezbollah.”
“We have an open issue with the Iran-backed Iraqi militias,” said Avner Golov, former senior director of Israel’s National Security Council. “They killed two of our soldiers, and I criticize Israel for not retaliating. If it were American soldiers, I can’t imagine America wouldn’t retaliate.”
In Syria, three brigades of militias operate under Iranian direction: the Fatemiyoun Brigade, made up of Afghan mercenaries; Liwa’ Zaynabiyun, made up of Pakistani mercenaries; and Imam Ali, with fighters from other Muslim countries. Each soldier is paid about $500 to $800 a month.
“These are either criminals who get released in exchange for joining the Iranian war effort, or their families are kidnapped, or they’re seeking some kind of patronage,” explained Rabi.
“This is a common practice Iran has used for years,” Rabi added, “showing how tyrannical and cruel Iran can be as it exploits the pain and suffering of people in these failed states.”
So far, the militias in Syria have mainly served as operators of the corridor for arms from Iran and as a logistics hub. Earlier this month, the IDF bombed the Al Mazna border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, a key route for weapons transfer from Iran.
“We have intelligence that lets us monitor events and stop threats before they happen,” said Sofrin. “There was an attack in Syria… near an airport the Russians have controlled for 49 years, called Khmeimim, which is close to a weapons depot intended for transfer to Lebanon. Despite the Russians being close, Israel attacked it, destroying the systems.”
As Israel ramps up its military operations, several scenarios could play out. Sofrin warns that hostilities could escalate if Iranian terror proxies are activated. “While these groups are ready to attack, they await orders from Iran, which makes the situation complicated,” adding that “the possibility of these groups carrying out sporadic attacks against American forces in the Middle East adds another layer of complexity.”
Looking ahead, the Iranian “Ring of Fire” faces unprecedented challenges. As Sofrin states, “We are starting to change the situation in the Middle East,” highlighting the need for continued pressure on Iranian proxies to prevent them from regrouping.
As winter approaches, operational challenges will become more difficult, limiting the effectiveness of military responses. However, Golov believes that a renewed focus on dismantling the Iranian axis is vital, and the way to do this is by sending a clear message to Bashar al-Assad.
“If Assad cooperates with Iran, if he continues to be an Iranian tool, he’s the next target. He must understand that he risks his regime,” Golov said, emphasizing that this pressure could force Assad to reconsider his alliances with Iran, impacting the broader Iranian strategy in the region.