Iran, on its own, retaliated against Israel on Friday, June 13, after the massive attack targeting its nuclear program and top officials. Its allies within the so-called "axis of resistance" against Israel remained silent, except for a lone missile fired by the Yemeni Houthi rebels that missed its target and landed in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, injuring three children. Twenty months after the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, Iran's allies in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen appear to be diminished, weighing the risks of engaging against an enemy that has demonstrated overwhelming military superiority.

"Some mock it as the 'axis of non-resistance.' The label is an exaggeration, but the significant weakening of several members of the axis has indeed changed the equation for Iran and limited its options. Especially as the previous confrontations with Israel, in April and October 2024, exposed a fundamental imbalance: Israel's ability to inflict damage is far greater than Iran's," said Thomas Juneau, professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and Iran and Yemen specialist at the Chatham House think tank.

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