Valiati: Iran's Increased Capability to Prevent U.S. Influence in the Region

Ali Akbar Velayati, the international advisor to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, stated that the "main duty of the resistance axis" is to prevent U.S. influence in the region, adding that Iran will have "greater capacity" to support its "friends in the region" following the Vienna nuclear agreement. According to Mehr News Agency, Velayati emphasized on Sunday, August 25, that the "resistance axis" in the region will be strengthened despite the "conspiracy of some countries." The Islamic Republic of Iran refers to groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, as well as other Palestinian groups opposed to Middle East peace, and the Syrian government as the "resistance front" against Israel. Meanwhile, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, mentioned Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Lebanon, and Iraq, stating that the Islamic Republic will not cease its support for its "friends" in the region following the Vienna nuclear agreement. These statements come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remarked on Tuesday, July 27, that the funds released to Iran from the Vienna nuclear agreement are already causing "celebrations for Bashar al-Assad and Hassan Nasrallah." Additionally, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir had previously advised the Islamic Republic to use the economic benefits from the nuclear agreement for its own people rather than for what he termed "adventurism in the region." Velayati further identified countries such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine as the "resistance axis," asserting that their "main duty" is not only to fight against foreign domination but also to prevent U.S. influence in the region. Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Islamic Countries Radio and Television Union conference, he accused the U.S. of attempting to disintegrate Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, as well as breaking the "chain of resistance composed of Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine." Meanwhile, according to Fars News Agency, Ali Saeedi, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, accused the U.S. of trying to disintegrate Iraq and Syria, stating that Iran supports the territorial integrity of these two countries "with all its might." Saeedi had previously described Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, and Latin America as the "strategic depth" of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Furthermore, Mohammad Ali Jafari, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that the status of exporting the Islamic Revolution outside Iran is "very favorable," adding that the revolution "needs to progress faster" within Iran. In recent months, and following the Vienna nuclear agreement, officials from some Arab countries have expressed concern over Iran's increasing influence in the region. However, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani referred to the idea of the "Shia Crescent" as a factor of "division" in the region, emphasizing that the "Shia Crescent" does not exist. The term "Shia Crescent" was first used by King Abdullah of Jordan to express concern over Iran's efforts to expand Shia influence across the territories of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Bahrain.