Iran steps up efforts to rebuild proxy forces after Israel, US strikes

Tehran denies smuggling weapons, but major arms shipments to Houthis and Hezbollah have been intercepted across the Middle East.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

Iran is reportedly working to rearm its proxy militias in the Middle East following devastating Israeli and US strikes on its military leadership and nuclear facilities, the Wall Street Journal reported.

A pattern of intercepted arms shipments suggests Tehran is rushing to replenish the capabilities of the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon—both key players in Iran’s regional strategy.

Last week, Yemen’s National Resistance Force, aligned with the internationally recognized government, seized what U.S. Central Command described as the largest Iranian weapons shipment yet intercepted on its way to the Houthis.

The massive cargo, hidden beneath declared shipments of air conditioners, contained 750 tons of advanced weaponry, including cruise missiles, anti-ship and anti-aircraft missiles, drone engines, and warheads.

“The timing and scale of this shipment strongly suggest Iran is moving quickly to replenish Houthi stockpiles depleted by U.S. airstrikes,” said Mohammed al-Basha, founder of the Basha Report, a U.S.-based Middle East security consultancy.

He warned that Tehran aims to maintain “high operational tempo targeting Israel and commercial maritime traffic.” Iran denies sending weapons to Yemen.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei called the claims “baseless,” despite evidence found with the cargo, including documents in Farsi, a missile quality certificate, and manuals for missile-guidance cameras.

Iran’s push comes weeks after a cease-fire ended Israel’s 12-day air campaign, which, alongside American strikes, inflicted major damage on Iran’s nuclear sites and military command.

The U.S. also bombed Houthi positions in Yemen for nearly two months, leaving the group seeking fresh supplies to continue attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel.

The Houthis demonstrated renewed capability last week, using missiles, drones, and rocket-propelled grenades to sink two merchant ships in the Red Sea, killing at least three crew members and taking others hostage.

They have also continued firing ballistic missiles at Israel, though most have been intercepted.

Meanwhile, Iran is rearming Hezbollah after the group was battered by Israeli military operations in late 2024, including covert strikes, air raids, and a ground incursion that killed thousands of operatives and decimated its weapons stockpiles.

Israeli forces also eliminated senior Hezbollah leaders, including Hassan Nasrallah.

“Iran is rebuilding its presence in the Levant by sending missiles to Hezbollah and weapons from Iraq to Syria,” said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

He noted that Iran is trying to re-establish its supply routes through Syria and Iraq despite heightened scrutiny.

The new Syrian government, hostile to Iran, is increasingly intercepting weapons smuggled across its borders.

In June, Syrian authorities seized Russian-made Kornet anti-tank missiles en route to Lebanon in a cucumber truck.

In May, air-defense missiles believed to be Iranian were intercepted near the Lebanese border.

In Lebanon, the new American-backed government is intensifying efforts to diminish Hezbollah’s power.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack praised the Lebanese administration, saying, “What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time.”

Despite setbacks, Hezbollah is thought to have rebuilt some of its arsenal by manufacturing its own drones and rockets and re-establishing parts of its smuggling network.

Michael Cardash, former deputy head of Israel’s bomb disposal unit, confirmed “an intensifying trend in recent months of smuggling attempts via or originating from Syria.”

While Tehran denies involvement, its regional strategy remains clear: bolster its proxies to maintain pressure on Israel and Western interests, even as it faces direct military challenges to its influence and capabilities.