The Role of the Islamic Republic in Wars and Armed Conflicts Worldwide in 2024

The year 2024 was filled with wars and conflicts around the world, and among the 193 countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran had an "active presence" in more than half of these wars and conflicts. Additionally, the Iranian government intervened in most armed conflicts and civil wars in 2024 as a supporter of one of the parties involved. Research by Radio Farda's data mining group shows that the footprint of the Islamic Republic is visible in almost all war zones in 2024. Iran's involvement ranges from direct participation in wars to active support for the parties involved and the supply of weapons to military and paramilitary groups. In the map above, you can see a summary of the status of the active presence or support of the Islamic Republic of Iran in wars and armed conflicts. What follows are the most significant wars and conflicts of 2024 worldwide, ranked based on the humanitarian impact according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies report. 1- The Russian Invasion of Ukraine: The year 2024 marked the third year of Russia's extensive military invasion of Ukraine. Since the beginning of the invasion, discussions about Iran's presence, Iranian weapons, and drones, and the military support of the Islamic Republic for Russia have been raised. The Iranian government appears to maintain a neutral stance in this war, but the European Union sanctioned several military entities and officials, including the Deputy Minister of Defense and several commanders of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, for sending missiles to Russia. 2- The War in Gaza: Gaza was one of the most insecure places in the world in 2024. Thousands more lost their lives in the past year in the war between Israel and the extremist group Hamas, which is considered terrorist by the US and the EU. The Islamic Republic has played an active role in this conflict and its escalation. Hamas, as the initiator of the clashes on October 7, 2023, has always been under the financial and military support of the Islamic Republic and is referred to as the Islamic Republic's proxy force in the region. Ismail Haniyeh, a senior leader of this extremist group, was killed in Tehran this summer, and the Islamic Republic of Iran launched missile attacks against Israel for the second time on October 1, 2024. Previously, on April 13 (Farvardin 25), in response to an airstrike attributed to Israel on the Iranian consulate in Damascus and the killing of Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior commander of the Quds Force, Iran attacked Israel by sending drones and firing missiles. 3- Lebanon (Hezbollah): The year 2024 was very difficult for Hezbollah Lebanon, the largest and strongest proxy force of the Islamic Republic in the region. Hezbollah entered the war against Israel one day after the extremist group Hamas attacked Israel to support this group, but in the last two months of these conflicts, Israel killed many leaders and senior commanders of Hezbollah, including its leader and secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah and Abbas Nilforushan, a senior commander of the IRGC, in various operations. These conflicts ultimately ended with a temporary ceasefire agreement after about 14 months of war between the Israeli army and Hezbollah, a war that resulted in thousands of deaths. 4- Syria: The last month of 2024 marked a fundamental turning point in the 13-year civil war in Syria. Over the past decade, the Islamic Republic of Iran has played a significant role in favor of Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian civil war by extensively deploying its military forces and Afghan and Pakistani nationals residing in Iran in the form of two brigades, "Fatimiyoun" and "Zainabiyoun," in exchange for financial assistance and residency cards in Iran. However, in the last month, with the rapid advance of armed Syrian rebels and the fall of Assad's government, the military and paramilitary forces affiliated with the Islamic Republic were also forced to leave Syria, just like Bashar al-Assad. 5- Yemen: Yemen has been embroiled in civil war and severe humanitarian crisis for the past 15 years. In 2024, with the escalation of conflicts in the region and attacks by the Ansar Allah (Houthis), who are supported militarily and financially by the Islamic Republic, the scope of the civil war in Yemen extended to military confrontations with the US and Israel. Throughout these years, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been the main supporter of the Houthis in Yemen. 6- Civil War in Myanmar: Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been in a state of unrest, but the conflicts have escalated since late last year following the formation of a coalition of resistance groups and armed clashes with the military government, raising the level of crisis in the country, effectively making Myanmar a battleground. Reports of the IRGC's presence in Myanmar have emerged since the onset of the crisis in 2021. In 2024, some media close to the opposition reported military cooperation between the Islamic Republic and the Myanmar government and the sending of cargo planes carrying military equipment to this country. 7- Civil War in Sudan: The civil war in Sudan, which began in April 2023, continued with intensity in 2024. This conflict is ongoing between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This war has so far resulted in over 20,000 deaths and 33,000 injuries, with around eight million displaced. Senior Sudanese army officials previously confirmed the use of Iranian drones in the civil war against opponents and stated that Iranian weapons had shifted the balance of power in favor of the army. Besides the Islamic Republic, Egypt, the UAE, Turkey, and Russia have also been accused of foreign intervention and exacerbating the conflict and civil war in Sudan. 8- Civil War in Somalia: The people of Somalia also spent 2024 in danger of insecurity and war. Islamic extremist groups, including Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS, are present in various parts of Somalia and are engaged in conflicts with each other and government forces; these clashes have led to widespread instability and the displacement of hundreds of thousands over the past decade. No report of Iran's direct presence in favor of the parties involved in Somalia has been published, but UN officials have previously warned about the cooperation of the Houthis supported by the Islamic Republic with Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab. 9- Civil War in the Democratic Republic of Congo: The humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo continues due to the ongoing civil war. Armed clashes between rebel groups and government forces, especially in the eastern regions of the country, have caused millions of people to be displaced. The possibility of conflict and war between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has also been a concern for 2025. There is no accurate report on the extent of the Islamic Republic's presence in the civil war in Congo, but in previous years, government officials in that country have thanked Iran for its support in the civil war. 10- West Africa (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria): West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria, also spent 2024 in unstable conditions and civil war. Political instability, military coups, and ethnic and religious conflicts continued in these countries while the Islamic Republic has been accused of intervening and exacerbating the crisis in the region, to the extent that the Quds Force has been officially accused of masterminding the coups in West Africa. It is said that on the same day as the summer 1402 coup in Mali, Ismail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force, was present in the capital of this country. The West African region has been officially identified in recent years as one of the targets of the "strategic depth development" of the Islamic Republic and one of the main missions of the Quds Force.