Iran's shaky regime

IT'S BEEN A DISASTROUS few months for Iran and its ability to threaten its regional rivals and enemies.

- IAN BREMMER

Israel's security forces have crippled the leadership of Iran's two most potent allied militias: Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The surprise collapse of Bashar Assad's government in Syria not only cost Iran its most important state ally but also cut off the route it has used to supply Hezbollah with weapons and support. Yemen's Houthi rebels continue to attack shipping traffic through the Red Sea, but an emboldened Israel has scored direct hits against its fighters, including inside Yemen itself. Iran has also recognized that Russia, its most important ally outside the Middle East, is so preoccupied with Ukraine that Moscow's needs outstrip its generosity. In short, Iran has seen the collapse of its regional empire by proxy—the so-called Axis of Resistance.