axis of resistance

English

Alternative forms

• Axis of Resistance

Etymology

Calque of Arabic محور المقاومة. First used in 2002 in Libya in response to George W. Bush's "axis of evil".

Proper noun

the axis of resistance

1. (geopolitics) An Iranian-led, anti-American, anti-Zionist, Shiite Islamist coalition in the Middle East whose significant participants include the IRGC, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
   • 2012 August 7, “Iran: We're in "axis of resistance" with Syria”, in CBS‎^[1]:

     The news agency said Assad and Jalili discussed their two countries' "strategic cooperation relationship" and "attempts by some Western countries and their allies to strike at the axis of resistance by targeting Syria and supporting terrorism there."

   • 2021 August 7, Seth J. Frantzman, “Iran claims Israel afraid of conflict with its 'axis of resistance'”, in the Jerusalem Post‎^[2]:

     Oddly, the Islamic Republic claims that Israel “lost five wars with the Axis of Resistance since the July 2006 war with the Lebanese resistance.”

   • 2022 July 14, Nancy Ezzeddine, Hamidreza Azizi, “Iran's Increasingly Decentralzed Axis of Resistance”, in War on the Rocks‎^[3]:

     Iran’s axis of resistance consists of a network of political parties and armed groups that span Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen.

   • 2024 January 14, Jason Burke, “Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ is a potent coalition but a risky strategy”, in the Guardian‎^[4]:

     The Houthis have fought and largely won a nine-year civil war against Yemen’s government — which is supported by Riyadh. They are thought to be one of the members of the axis of resistance most closely controlled by Iran.

Further reading

• axis of resistance on Wikipedia.Wikipedia