Proxy wars are not uncommon at all. Such wars have increased all over the world and are becoming a more prevalent and destabilizing way of conflicts in different regions. But proxy wars have come to the fore anew in the conflicts in the Middle East especially the Iran-US-Israel war and its peace initiative. While the US wants the proxy wars of Iran to end and considers it one of the terms of reaching peace in the Iran-US-Israel war, the latter does not consider it a condition and denies stopping funding to proxy wars. But — importantly —a vital side is how much such wars can be ended in the Middle East, even if it has been given an emphasis.
Though it is easier to talk of ending proxy wars in the Middle East, it is often difficult to do so in reality. There are various reasons that lead to proxy wars but these are often difficult to address in different regions including the Middle East. The desire of major powers, global and regional, to project their influence, the intention to protect their own interests, and the aim of advancing their political and/or ideological agendas without direct and costly confrontations with rivals are major causes of proxy wars. Regional power struggles and the high number of local and international actors involved in proxy wars can make it difficult to end, not only in other regions but also in the Middle East.
Various parties are involved in proxy wars in the Middle East and have been indirectly waging wars for several decades. But — most often —they are globally and regionally powerful countries including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. While proxy wars involve state actors, there are many non-state actors in such wars in the region. Globally and regionally powerful parties provide support to regional state actors and non-state groups through a variety of ways including intelligence sharing and security services, logistical support and economic aid, and diplomatic and soft power support to advance their own geoeconomic and geopolitical interests with proxy wars.
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Moreover, different non-state parties have achieved their own capacity to wage wars, making it somewhat difficult to end such wars, even if Iran does not support them further. In the Middle East, Iran-affiliated proxy parties such as the Houthis in Yemen, which have been fighting the Yemeni government forces for years, and Hezbollah in Lebanon have developed their own capacity to wage wars and become self-sustaining actors. Though Iranian funding and technology remain crucial for their high-end capabilities, they have advanced from proxy forces into specialized hybrid actors over the years and have become capable of domestic weapons production, drone warfare and strategic strikes against their enemy parties.
Moreover, Hezbollah has not agreed to disband and has explicitly rejected pressure to disarm or lay down its weapons. Hezbollah, which carried out strikes in Israel in response to the killing of Iranian leaders by Israel and the US, has already denied peace talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington DC, held on April 16, 2026, that did not include the group. They will probably not listen to Iran — even if it wants — due to several causes including the nature of the conflict and their internal interests. Moreover, Houthi officials have stressed that decisions regarding their military involvement are made independently, not dictated by Iran.
All sorts of wars in the Middle East, both direct confrontations and proxy wars, are desired to be ended. But uncertainty remains on whether ending the proxy wars of one party such as Hezbollah will end such wars in the Middle East. There have been many proxy parties in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. Though a few of such parties including the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in Syria and the JRTN (Jaysh al-Tariq al-Naqshabandia) in Iraq ended their operations, other proxy parties such as Turkey-backed proxy parties in Syria, the UAE-backed proxy parties in Yemen such as Al-Islah and Israel-backed proxy groups in Gaza such as the Popular Forces of Palestine may not be ended and can continue conflicts.
But, moreover, the end of proxy wars may not lead to peace in the Middle East, where conflicts after conflicts have been going on for several decades. There is no guarantee that the major conflicts in the Middle East especially in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen will lead to an acceptable resolution, even if the proxy parties end or dissolve their operations, due to a variety of reasons including historical rivalries, differing priorities and the lack of trust. Various peace initiatives taken by global and regional actors, even if they were promising, have failed to acceptably resolve different conflicts including the Palestine crisis and the conflicts in Yemen.
If proxy wars are ended, there may be fewer conflicts in the Middle East. But the emphasis needs to be given to talks-based solution to the proxy wars — rather than any forceful dissolution. The non-state parties such as Hezbollah need to be involved in the talks to make any decision regarding their disbandment. Waging wars to forcefully disband such non-state groups including Hezbollah will lead to a long war and bring disastrous impacts such as deaths, displacement and property damages. Moreover, the use of force has not only failed to end Hamas but also may not end Hezbollah.
But addressing rivalries among major powers involved in proxy wars is vital too. This will not only end the need for such wars but also reduce the chance of such wars in the Middle East. Without ending or reducing rivalries, it can be difficult to end proxy wars, which are also seen by the parties as a way to prevent direct attacks. Peace initiatives need to continue to end the conflicts including the conflicts in Lebanon and Yemen. But the goodwill of the parties is vital to end conflicts.
