How Hamas' Oct 7 attack smashed Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’

The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel marked a turning point for Iran and its network of proxies, leading to their strategic decline. While the attack demonstrated Hamas’s military capability, it overextended Iran’s resources and triggered widespread retaliatory campaigns by Israel. Key proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, faced severe setbacks due to depleted resources and loss of territorial control. The Assad regime in Syria collapsed under diminished support. Regionally, Gulf states and Egypt aligned with Israel, and the US intensified sanctions against Iran. This chain reaction weakened Iran’s influence, reshaping Middle Eastern geopolitics and highlighting the consequences of overreach.