Iran's Proxy Network Poses Lasting Threat, Even If Tehran Cuts Ties

Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthi militants have developed independent global operations that could outlast the current Iranian regime.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:26pm

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As the U.S. and Iran negotiate to end the ongoing conflict, the article argues that Iran's network of proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis have developed their own global terrorist, procurement, financial, and logistical capabilities that could persist even if Iran cuts off support. These proxies have established independent operations around the world, making them a lasting threat that will require continued international pressure to disrupt.

Why it matters

The article highlights that while the U.S. is right to pressure Iran to stop funding its proxy groups, the threat posed by these organizations may not disappear even if Iran agrees to cut ties. The proxies have built up their own global infrastructure and funding sources, meaning they could continue to destabilize the region and threaten Western interests even without direct Iranian support.

The details

The article provides examples of how Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis have developed independent global networks for terrorism, weapons procurement, and fundraising. Hezbollah has been linked to terrorist activity in multiple countries outside the Middle East, while Hamas and the Houthis have also established international procurement and financing operations. These groups have used front companies, falsified shipping documents, and complicit foreign firms to obtain weapons technology and funding, making it difficult to disrupt their activities.

  • In the lead-up to the October 7 attacks, Hamas was raising an estimated $10 million per month from sham charities in Europe.
  • This past summer, European authorities disrupted a large-scale Hezbollah procurement network operating in Spain, Germany, France and the UK.

The players

Hezbollah

Iran's most loyal and longest operating proxy group, which has developed terrorist networks and infrastructure around the world that operate independently of Iran.

Hamas

A Palestinian militant group that has established an extensive overseas financial infrastructure, including sham charities in Europe that were raising an estimated $10 million per month for the group prior to the October 7 attacks.

Houthis

Iran-backed militants in Yemen who have established their own robust international procurement networks to obtain weapons technology, including drones, and have even sold surplus weapons to the Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab group in Somalia.

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What they’re saying

“Cutting the ties between Iran and its proxies would certainly be a major step forward, though the selection of the ayatollah's hard-line son Mojtaba as the new supreme leader is a strong indication that Iran is not moving in a better direction.”

— Michael Jacobson, Former director of strategy, plans and initiatives in the State Department's Counterterrorism Bureau

“But don't assume that even if Iran cuts off its support, it would eliminate the threat. Even as it works to secure promises from Tehran, the U.S. should also press its partners around the world to maintain pressure on the proxies' independent networks, particularly in the locales where Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis have been most active.”

— Matthew Levitt, Former deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and analysis at the Treasury

What’s next

The U.S. and its partners will need to maintain pressure on the proxy groups' independent global networks, even if Iran agrees to cut off direct support, in order to disrupt their ability to carry out attacks and destabilize the region.

The takeaway

Iran's network of proxy groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis have developed their own global terrorist, procurement, and fundraising capabilities that could outlast the current Iranian regime. Eliminating the threat will require sustained international cooperation to target these independent proxy operations.