The Axis of Resistance: Iran, Israel, and the Struggle for the Middle East

Author:   Hamidreza Azizi (German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP))
Publisher:   Polity Press
ISBN:  

9781509568000


Pages:   276
Publication Date:   08 May 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained


Our Price $36.95 Quantity:  
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The Axis of Resistance: Iran, Israel, and the Struggle for the Middle East


Overview

An unconventional alliance has come to define the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East. Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran has been building a sprawling web of regional allies – from Hezbollah in Lebanon to Shiite militias in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Hamas in Gaza – all aimed at challenging what they see as a US-led regional order and Israel's military supremacy. But, after decades of expansion, has this alliance – the Axis of Resistance – reached its breaking point? In this path-breaking book, leading foreign policy analyst Hamidreza Azizi traces the rise, transformation, and fragmentation of the Axis, from its roots in local resistance movements to its peak under Qasem Soleimani and its involvement in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The network now faces an existential threat. As regional dynamics continue to unfold, Azizi situates the Axis in its broader ideological and strategic context and examines competing visions for regional order in the Middle East. Including an afterword on the American and Israeli attack on Iran, The Axis of Resistance offers a vital guide to one of the most consequential and misunderstood political-military alliances in contemporary international affairs.

Full Product Details

Author:   Hamidreza Azizi (German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP))
Publisher:   Polity Press
Imprint:   Polity Press
ISBN:  

9781509568000


ISBN 10:   150956800
Pages:   276
Publication Date:   08 May 2026
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Forthcoming
Availability:   Awaiting stock   Availability explained

Table of Contents

Abbreviations Introduction: From the Axis of Evil to the Axis of Resistance 1. Resistance: From Ideology to Strategy 2. First Tier: Palestinian Territories 3. Second Tier: Lebanon and Syria 4. Third Tier: Iraq and Yemen 5. An Ever-Evolving Network 6. Clash of Orders Conclusion: Resistance without Axis? Acknowledgements Notes Index

Reviews

""The first comprehensive account of Iran's  'Axis of Resistance' and all of its components in detail - analysing its functions and malfunctions from its very emergence to final defeat. A fascinating read."" Bente Scheller, Head of Middle East and North Africa Division, Heinrich Boell Foundation Berlin


Author Information

Hamidreza Azizi is an expert on Iran's foreign and security policy as well as broader geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East. He is a visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, a nonresident fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs in Doha and an associate researcher at Clingendael, the Netherlands Institute of International Relations.

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